Concussion Testing & Treatment

A concussion is a type of brain injury that changes the way your brain normally works. It can be caused by a jolt, blow or bump to the head or body.

While a concussion is described as a mild brain injury (not life-threatening in most cases), the aftereffects of a concussion can be serious.

The brain is not fixed; it is actually suspended in cerebral spinal fluid within the skull. A sudden blow or jolt can cause the brain to shake quickly back and forth. When this happens, axons (long threadlike parts of a nerve cell) become damaged.

Axons are responsible for transmitting messages between nerve cells in the brain – without them, nerve cells are unable to communicate. Blood vessel damage in the brain may also occur, which can cause swelling and inflammation.

The number one reported sign of a concussion following impact is a headache. Dizziness is the second most common symptom. 

Other concussion symptoms include:

• Headache
• Difficulty recalling information
• Feeling stunned or dazed
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness
• Feeling slowed down, drowsy
• Irritability
• Sleeping more or less than usual
• Nausea
• Feelings of sadness
• Sensitivity to light and/or noise

In most cases, symptoms will appear immediately. However, sometimes symptoms may not appear until days or weeks after the incident. Unless otherwise approved by your doctor, you should not return to mentally or physically demanding activities while you are still having symptoms.

While preventing concussions is challenging, it should be an important focus during daily sporting activities, not just for athletes but coaches, administrators and parents as well.

More about how you can prevent head injuries: 

• In football, a proper tackling technique has the best outcome for reducing concussions.
• In sports with less contact such as basketball and baseball, it is important to teach body and visual awareness to help decrease the chance of a collision.
• Heading a soccer ball has long been studied for its effects on concussions. However, there are currently no research studies that have definitively determined that heading causes concussions. There may be evidence that better neck strength and stabilization may lessen the chance of sustaining a head injury.

Currently, there is no evidence that a helmet will prevent you from having a concussion. Helmets were initially created to protect your head and face from trauma like fractures, lacerations and mouth injuries. The creation of the helmet has led to a faster, harder-hitting athlete.

Choose a helmet that is specifically made for the activity you're going to use it for. For example, cycling helmets are single-use helmets. They are designed to withstand a single intense blow to the head and should not be used again after the impact occurs. Football, lacrosse and hockey helmets, on the other hand, are designed to withstand many small blows.

Avoid add-on helmet devices such as external soft covers and internal shock reducers. Sports helmets are tested and certified by NOCSAE (national operating committee on standards for athletic equipment) and already include all of the materials necessary to reduce the risk of a head injury. After-market products or alterations made to a helmet made after testing negate a NOCSAE certification and should not be used.