Narrator >> Hi, there!
Playing sports is a great way to have fun and be active. But to keep sports safe and enjoyable for everyone, it’s important to know what to do if you or someone you know gets hurt. You can see some injuries - like cuts and bruises. But others, like a brain injury called a concussion, don’t show on the outside. Concussions are caused by a blow to the head, face, neck or body from a fall, a hit, or anything that knocks someone hard enough that their brain moves around inside their skull.
This kind of brain injury doesn’t show on X-rays, but concussions can affect the way you think, feel and act. With proper care, people usually get better in a week to a month. But the effects of a concussion can last for months or sometimes even more than a year.
Concussions are really serious, so everyone involved with sports – athletes, coaches, team trainers, officials, teachers and families - need to learn how to recognize, manage and even prevent them.
It’s really important to tell an adult - like a coach or teacher – if you or someone else gets hurt. If you ignore a concussion the injury might get a lot worse and the symptoms might last longer. Never “tough it out” or make someone else feel bad for saying they have an injury. Telling someone is the smart thing to do and is part of being a good team player!
There are things you can do to avoid getting a concussion in the first place! Step one is to learn as much as you can about concussions, like you’re doing right now.
Next you need to make sure you wear all the right equipment for your sport. Everything needs to fit properly and be in good condition.
You also need to know and follow the rules. At the start of the season you need to read and agree to your sport team Concussion Code of Conduct.
Now… how can you tell if you or someone else might have a concussion? Most people don’t lose consciousness when they have a concussion so there are other signs and symptoms that you need to look for.
The first things to check for are any “red flags”. These are signs and symptoms that might mean the injury is an emergency.
Red flags include pain or tenderness in your neck, seeing double, weakness or tingling in your arms or legs, a really bad headache or a convulsion, loss of consciousness, or throwing up more than once. There are also red flags for how a person is behaving - like if the person becomes confused or keeps getting more and more aggressive or even angry. If these symptoms appear then it’s an emergency and you or someone needs to call 9-1-1 right away.
Remember, concussions are brain injuries and the brain controls almost everything we do and how we feel. This means that concussions can cause a number of different signs or symptoms.
We usually group these into four categories: Physical, Thinking, Emotional, and Sleep-related. They might start right away, or they might take hours – or even days – to show up. Even if you have only one symptom you might still have a concussion.
Let’s start with physical signs and symptoms. The most common is a headache. It could be pressure or pain. Some people even say it’s like there’s a power saw running in their head You might also feel dizzy or nauseous, maybe even throw up. You might stumble around or lose your balance. Other symptoms include feeling like everything is too bright or too loud. Things might looks blurry, or you might hear ringing in your ears. You might feel tired, drowsy, or like you have no energy. Sometimes it can be difficult to describe how you feel, you may just know that you “don’t feel right.”
The thinking signs and symptoms are things like feeling confused or not thinking as clearly or quickly as usual. It might be hard to concentrate or remember things.
Emotional signs and symptoms often include feeling upset or angry easily, feeling nervous, anxious or really sad.
The last type of symptoms relate to sleep. You might have trouble falling and staying asleep. It could also be the opposite and you might want to sleep a lot.
Now that you know what to look for, here are the four things to do if you think that you or your teammate has a concussion.
One, you have to stop the activity right away. This is a must. If you keep playing or practicing, you can make things a lot worse and can make your symptoms last longer
Two, tell an adult you trust. Someone needs to call your parent or guardian if they’re not with you.
Three, you or your teammate should not be left alone with a suspected concussion.
Finally you’ll need to be checked by a medical doctor or nurse practitioner as soon as possible.
Remember - if you are hit, stop playing or practicing and sit out!
Now let’s talk about how you can recover from a concussion.
All concussions are different, so don’t compare your recovery to someone else’s. Still, there are some steps that everyone should follow to get better.
Lots of people, especially athletes, get injured and have to rest and recover. If you hurt your knee, you can’t run until it’s healed and strong again or else you might make things worse. It’s the same with a concussion. Except, how do you rest and recover the brain?
Since the brain is involved with pretty much everything you do, resting it requires taking a break in a few different ways. A person with a concussion shouldn’t do anything that make them feel worse. This could mean less exercise, less screen time, or even less school work – it’s about letting your brain and body get better.
While you are recovering you should always let an adult know if you don’t feel right or if your symptoms get worse. You’ll need to follow a list of specific steps before you can return safely to school and physical activity.
You should work with your medical doctor or nurse practitioner and other health care providers, your school and sports team to make a plan that’s just right for you to get better. It’s also important that you wait until a medical doctor or nurse practitioner says it’s OK for you to return to full training, practice, or competition.
Most plans start with one to two days of rest. Each step in the plan takes at least one day but could take several days. Once you can do the activities in one step without new symptoms or feeling worse, you’re usually ready to move to the next step. If symptoms do get worse at any step, you need to stop and rest. If symptoms don’t improve or if they keep getting worse, talk to an adult you trust.
Remember every concussion is different and a slow recovery doesn’t mean you have failed. It’s just what you need to do to get better.
On to the steps for returning to sports.
Step 1 is light daily activities that don’t make you feel worse.
Step 2 is some light activity – like going for a short walk.
Step 3 is specific exercises for your sport – simple drills, like shooting a basketball. No strength training and nothing that could cause any head or body contact.
It’s not until the fourth step that you can return to team practice and participate in harder drills, and some strength training. There still shouldn’t be any physical contact – and that’s one of many reasons why it’s important the whole team understands and supports your recovery.
Step five is returning to full practice.
And the sixth step is where you get back to regular game play or competition.
Don’t forget: you need the OK from a medical doctor or nurse practitioner before you can return to full practice, training or competition. Check with your sports team and school for the specific steps that should be followed.
And remember: returning to school comes first, before returning to playing sports.
Athletes, parents, coaches, team trainers, officials and teachers all have a part in preventing, recognizing and managing concussions. Everyone needs to talk openly and understand the importance of letting others know if something doesn’t feel right.
Sports, physical activity and exercise can play a big part in our lives, but our health comes first. If we recognize a concussion early and manage it properly, the brain can heal just like any other part of the body.
Thanks for listening, and take care of your awesome brain!
[Title:This video is part of a series of Rowan's Law concussion awareness resources.]
[Title: Rowan's Law was named for Rowan Stringer, a high school rugby player from Ottawa, who died in the spring of 2013 from a condition known as second impact syndrome (swelling of the brain caused by a subsequent injury that occurred before a previous injury healed). Rowan is believed to have experienced three concussions over six days while playing rugby. She had a concussion, but didn’t know her brain needed time to heal. Neither did her parents, teachers or coaches.]
[Title: This resource is not meant to provide medical advice about your health care. For advice on health care for concussion symptoms, please consult with a medical doctor or nurse practitioner.]