With the local Winter sport season upon us, many athletes will be commencing contact sport for the year of 2021. No matter the sport, injuries are widespread, and it is important to undertake the proper return to play protocols to avoid re-injury. Although there is one common injury that is often overlooked. Concussions are rife through contact sport, and athletes commonly return to play without the proper knowledge of whether they are doing so safely.
It is important to undergo a full medical assessment after having a concussion, as they can occur without a loss of consciousness. So, it is vital to go and see your GP or a Sports Medicine Physician who regularly see patients with concussion; we can also assist in linking you in with a Sports Doctor who we work with regularly. Following a medical assessment, the next 24-48 should entail complete physical and mental rest, this means no activity and very limited mental stimulus (i.e. minimal screen time, no exercise). Exactly like we would rest our ankle after an ankle sprain, we need to rest our brain after a concussion. Following each stage listed below, it is important to have constant communications with your GP or Sports Medicine Physician to ensure they have medically cleared you for the next stage of your rehabilitation1.
Stage 1:
- Following the period of rest, and once you are able to do daily activities symptom free, you can begin to return to very light cardiovascular exercise. This could mean going for a swim, a light jog or even a cycle on a stationary bike for up to 20 minutes.
- It is best to monitor symptoms throughout the exercise and the following couple hours after you have finished1.
Stage 2:
- Once you are able to complete Stage 1, you are able to return to training and complete light non-contact drills. This could be passing drills, having a kick or a throw with a partner, as per all stages, it is important to monitor symptoms.
- Gradually increase your training and participation in drills, ensuring no contact.
- Once you are symptom free, a medical assessment should be completed with written clearance for you to return to contact training.
- If any symptoms do present, a period of physical and mental rest should be undergone again, and you start back at the beginning of the recovery process1.
Stage 3:
- Once you have commenced contact training, the athletes, along with coaches, trainers and parents, should monitor symptoms and any changes in behaviour. If anything is noted, please contact your doctor as soon as possible.
- If the athlete is able to participate in full contact training with no symptoms, and has medical clearance to return to play, the athlete will be able to participate in a full match.
- Please continue to monitor symptoms throughout the next couple of matches1.
It is very important to note that if at any time symptoms are noticed through this return to play program, the athlete should repeat the previous stage and then progress from there.
For more information, please refer to the Rugby Australia Concussion protocol and the AFL community concussion guidelines below.
If you would like a discussion with our Sports Physiotherapist on injury prevention including concussion “prevention/minimisation” strategies used in Elite Rugby and Elite Australian Rules teams, please contact us on 9439 6776.
This blog was written by Sean Downes, Physiotherapist at Back In Motion Eltham.
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