Updating the Return to Play Timeframe
The above article is associated with World Rugby and their new announcement requiring all athletes that have been diagnosed with a concussion being sidelined for a minimum of 12 days. Formerly this minimum requirement was 7 days across the world, a standard practice regardless of sport. At Dr. Fitzgerald & Associates Vision In Motion clinic, we see numerous athletes, of all ages, that did not think their head impact was “a big deal”. It was only when they began realizing, days later, that they had a headache with certain tasks of daily living, or that they became dizzy when they sat up from lying down, and that they forgot their neighbor’s name across the street. Just like with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after exercise, symptoms of a concussion can also be delayed. It is important to gain a thorough history of mechanism of injury, symptom provocation, and discuss nutrition, exercise habits, and sleep hygiene when evaluating and treating a concussion. It is equally as important to utilize the return to play protocol appropriately, and monitor the athlete’s heart rate throughout each phase, since symptom provocation may be delayed up to 24 hours, heart rate will tell you immediately if the athlete will have a side effect from any physical or cognitive activity.
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