Concussions – How “Shake it Off” Doesn’t Work for Kids Anymore
Growing up how many times have you heard “it’s just a bump, shake it off and get back in there”?
There is increasing awareness in the media of sports-related concussions occurring in youth. According to the Government of Canada, 93% of sports and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are among children.¹
It is important to have good working knowledge of concussions if your child is involved in any sport activities.
The Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC) recommends the 4 R’s in concussion management: Recognize, Remove, Refer, Return.²
RECOGNIZE
Concussions result from “a hit to the head, neck, face or another part of the body causing the brain to move inside the skull to become injured.”¹
It is important to recognize the symptoms of concussion. A pre-season education session for athletes, coaches, trainers, officials and parents by a licensed health care provider is recommended to help catch the early signs of concussion.
Symptoms
Headache
Pressure in head
Dizziness
Nausea or Vomiting
“Don’t feel right”
Blurred vision
Sensitivity to light and sound
Ringing in the ears
Balance problems
Feeling tired or low energy
Drowsiness
Cognitive
Not thinking clearly
Feeling slowed down
Feeling like “in a fog”
Difficulty concentrating
Memory issues
Emotional
Easily upset or angered
Sadness
Feeling more emotional
Feeling nervous or anxious
Sleep Related
Sleeping more or less than usual
Having a hard time falling asleep
Adapted from parachute.org³If there is no licensed professional available, the Concussion Recognition Tool 5⁴ can be used to identify a concussion.
Remove
We want to remove the athlete immediately from the game or practice following a concussion.
Call an ambulance if the following symptoms are present:
Neck pain or tenderness
Double Vision
Weakness or tingling/burning in arms or legs
Severe to increasing headache
Seizure or convulsion
Loss of consciousness
Deteriorating conscious state
Vomiting
Increasingly restless, agitated or combative
Refer
It is recommended that if your child exhibits these symptoms that they seek medical care after 24-48 hours of cognitive and physical rest. Your doctor will suggest seeing a licensed healthcare professional trained in concussion rehabilitation.
This includes professionals such as a:
Physiotherapist
Neurologist
Chiropractor
Occupational Therapist
Return
Athletes will sustain a second concussion with more severe symptoms without appropriate clearance from a licensed healthcare professional. The health care professional will provide guidance on a return to school protocol first before a return to sport protocol.
