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Getting Back to Action: The 6 Stages of Concussion Recovery

Getting Back to Action: The 6 Stages of Concussion Recovery

by | Oct 18, 2023 | Sports Medicine

If your child sustained a concussion in a recent game or practice, recovery won’t happen overnight. There are six stages of concussion recovery necessary before returning to action.

A young athlete might think of a concussion as simply a sports injury, but because it involves the brain, a concussion is more complex. A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that occurs after a blow to the head or a hit to the body causes the brain to move back and forth within the skull. 

While a concussion can occur during any type of activity or simply when you bump your head on a bathroom cabinet, it’s more likely to happen when playing sports, such as football and soccer. These contact sports pose a high risk of physical injury, which, unfortunately, can involve your child’s head.

Recovering After a Concussion

After a concussion, your child may want to get back to the court or field quickly, but it’s essential to be patient throughout the full recovery process. Prioritize rest and quality sleep during this time since both will help your child’s brain while they recover.

As your young athlete begins feeling better and symptoms, such as headache and sensitivity to lights or sounds, disappear, a medical provider may recommend a gradual return to normal activities. Encourage your child to listen to his or her body and resume activities as able but not to overdo it. 

If your child’s concussion symptoms linger or get worse, it’s important to talk with a medical provider. Physical and mental symptoms that don’t go away can be a sign of post-concussion syndrome, which can last for weeks or even months. 

When will your child be ready to get back in the sports action? Full recovery isn’t always obvious, and working with your child’s doctor, coach and an athletic trainer, if one is available, is crucial to ensuring your child returns to sports safely.

Generally, concussion recovery follows these six stages.

Stage 1: Back to Regular Activities

In the initial days after a concussion, your child should not return to sports. Normal activities, such as work or school, may be OK, if your child’s medical provider says so. Your child may only tolerate a few hours of school, so keep an eye out for symptoms. 

Stage 2: Light Aerobic Activity

After a few days without symptoms, your child may receive clearance to participate in brief bursts of gentle physical activity to increase his or her heart rate, such as short walks. Avoid weight-lifting at this stage.

Stage 3: Moderate Activity

The next step for recovering from a concussion is progressing to moderate activities that increase your child’s heart rate and involve body and head movement. Activities may include jogging or slow running, along with moderate-intensity weight training.

Stage 4: Heavy, Noncontact Activity

At this point of your child’s concussion recovery, your child’s provider may say it’s acceptable to participate in activities, such as sprinting, weightlifting or noncontact, sport-specific workouts. 

Stage 5: Practice and Full Contact

If your child has progressed through the first four stages without a return of symptoms, his or her provider may give the all clear to participate in contact activities in a practice setting.

Stage 6: Competition

Once your child has participated in sports practices without a return of symptoms, he or she may be approved to return to actual competition. Be careful, though. Having one concussion makes your young athlete more susceptible to future concussions, so talk with the team’s coach or athletic trainer or your child’s provider about precautions your child should take to prevent another head injury.

The Bottom Line on Concussion Recovery

Returning to sports isn’t as simple after a concussion as after a sprained ankle, for example. Head injuries need to fully heal before your child returns to activities, and you should work closely with a health care provider to determine when to move through each recovery phase.

As your child recovers after a concussion, carefully follow the treatment plan outlined by your medical provider. If your child progresses and then his or her symptoms return or new ones develop, hit the pause button and seek medical attention.

After a concussion — and even if your child has never had one — take precautions to protect your athlete’s head and avoid future concussions. Be sure your child uses the required sport-specific protective gear, including a well-fitting helmet. If your child damages his or her helmet during a game or practice, replace it. A helmet that’s cracked or broken can be ineffective.

Baseline testing before your child’s sports season can be another helpful step to discuss with your child’s pediatrician or coach. This type of evaluation provides valuable information that can be used to determine the extent of a head injury if one occurs.

It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the signs of concussion and to talk through them with your child. A medical provider should promptly check out any symptoms after a hit to the head.

Is your young athlete recovering after a concussion? Call 469-515-7100 to discuss your child’s care.

How to Spot Signs of a Concussion in Kids

How to Spot Signs of a Concussion in Kids

by | Oct 10, 2023 | Sports Medicine

Head injuries in children, especially children who play sports, can have long-lasting impacts. Knowing the signs of a concussion in kids will help you get the treatment your child needs to avoid serious complications.

Concussion Basics

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that can occur when a child experiences a sudden blow to the head. The impact causes the brain to jostle around the skull’s interior, damaging brain tissue and brain cells.
Although concussions during football get a lot of attention, these head injuries can also be caused by falls, collisions during other sports, bicycle accidents, and even minor car accidents. Particularly concerning is that having a concussion increases a child’s risk for having another one.

Immediate Warning Signs of Concussions in Kids

When your child hits his or her head, it’s natural to wonder if they’re okay. You may see your child jump up and keep playing, and you assume they aren’t injured. But you should monitor them closely for signs of a concussion because not all children will show immediate symptoms. In fact, according to the International Concussion Society, 90% of concussions that occur during sports don’t cause the person to black out or become unconscious.
“When in doubt, sit them out,” said Shane M. Miller, M.D., sports medicine physician and concussion expert. “If your child seems dazed, stunned, dizzy or is complaining of a headache, it’s safest for you or their coach to remove them from play immediately. The ‘tough it out’ mentality could prolong recovery and make them more susceptible to a more severe injury.”
Immediate symptoms of a concussion to look out for include:

  • Confusion
  • Dizziness
  • Memory loss
  • Nausea
  • Severe headache
  • Vomiting

If any of these symptoms are present, stop your child from playing or participating in an activity. More than 50% of child athletes continue playing a sport after experiencing a concussion, often because they don’t realize they’ve had a concussion or they don’t think their symptoms are that serious. However, continuing to play can slow recovery, increase the chances of having another concussion and lead to long-term symptoms, such as a headache that lasts for months.

Delayed Symptoms

Concussion symptoms can appear a few hours and even days after a concussion. Some symptoms may show up as much as a week after a concussion.

Even if your child seems fine after a short time, watch out for the following signs and symptoms:

  • Changes in alertness, such as difficulty staying awake, becoming unusually tired or having trouble paying attention
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Emotional and behavioral changes, such as mood swings, irritability, a sudden change in your child’s personality and unexplained emotional outbursts.
  • Headaches, especially persistent headaches, and those that worsen over time
  • Losing consciousness
  • Memory problems
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Sensitivity to light or noise
  • Trouble with balance and coordination, for example, unsteady movements, clumsiness and stumbling

When to Take Your Child to the ER for a Concussion

Concussions are always serious, but in some cases, the injury requires immediate medical attention from specialists at the closest emergency room (ER). Signs that a visit to the ER is necessary include:

  • Prolonged confusion
  • Seizures
  • Vomiting repeatedly
  • Worsening symptoms

At the ER, health care providers will perform a detailed physical exam, looking for visible injuries and symptoms, such as headaches and dizziness.

The ER team will also take your child’s medical history and ask about the incident and any previous concussions. The providers may order a comprehensive neurological assessment to test your child’s cognitive function, coordination, reflexes and responsiveness. They may also send your child for an imaging test, such as a CT or MRI scan.

Creating a Long-Term Plan for Concussion Recovery

In general, concussions heal in a few weeks. However, children require more recovery time from a concussion than adults, so help your child be patient during this process. Remind them that not taking enough time to heal could result in a more severe injury, including another concussion. The more concussions a child endures, the higher the likelihood of long-term damage to the brain.

Your child’s pediatrician can work with you to develop a plan to treat your child’s concussion. This plan will include plenty of time to rest and recover.

Gradually, your child will be able to return to normal daily activities, including sports, but only after you get the all-clear from their pediatrician or sports medicine specialist.

“Concussion management is a team approach, but the care is individualized to the needs of each athlete,” Miller said. “Unfortunately, injuries occur during sports, but how you respond is critical. Early recognition and treatment, with a supportive family and coaches leads to better outcomes and a quicker return to play.”

If your child took a baseline concussion test before the injury occurred, the goal is for their test results to be back to baseline levels.

Even after your child gets back on the court or field, you should monitor them for symptoms mentioned above. Symptoms that don’t go away or reappear after your child starts playing again could be signs of post-concussive syndrome, a rare condition that can develop in children who have had more than one concussion.

Trust your instincts when it comes to your child’s health. If you suspect a concussion, call our expert team now at 469-515-7100. We provide specialized care to ensure your child’s well-being and quick recovery.