With more light being shed on the topic of concussions and sport, there are still a lot of myths and questions that revolve around how concussions occur and management of the injury.
There is still a very “old school” thought process around concussions, many coaches, parents, athletes and even health care professionals are still in the dark about concussions and management of concussion.
With sport participation numbers increasing from year to year, we are seeing more youth (and adults in recreational leagues) sustaining head injuries during these activities. And the most unfortunate part of this is how mismanaged this injury is.
From people seeking advice from friends and family, or seeing health professionals (ER, walk in clinic, etc), there is lot of misguided information being given to these individuals. Sometimes this information is under recognized, in the sense that the individual is told to shake it off, or not worry about the symptoms. Or in other cases it can be over treated where there is unnecessary imaging, medication or fear in terms of trying to best manage the injury.
So here we hope to answer some of those common questions and debunk some of the commons myths surrounding concussion.
Do you have to be knocked out to sustain a Concussion?
No!
This is a common misconception when people try to diagnose (and self diagnose) whether or not an athlete has suffered a concussion. The statistics usually show that only around 10% of athletes who suffer a concussion get knocked out or lose consciousness. Also a loss of consciousness is not a required sign to be diagnosed with a concussion. An athlete may seem dazed, confused, light headed or have a sense of fogginess, but they do not need to necessarily lose consciousness or not be able to recall the previous events that occurred.
Every Athlete reports Concussion Symptoms
False!
One of the main problems we see in both youth and professional sport, is under reporting of injuries and symptoms, specifically in terms of concussion. Athletes either aren’t aware of the symptoms related to concussion, ignore them or not report them in order to be able to continue with play, or are afraid of sustaining a head injury and are in denial of the injury and its symptoms.
Athletes themselves need to be further educated about the signs and symptoms of concussion, along with parents and coaches. Especially at the youth level most teams do not have the luxury of a Athletic Trainer, Team Physician or Team Physio. So it is vital that teams and parents are educated in terms of concussion and the risk of returning to play after sustaining a head injury.
Furthermore, professional leagues and teams such as the NFL have to do a better job in dealing and managing athletes who have sustained a head injury during the course of play. The youth athlete not only looks up to the idolizes these athletes, but also may think that it is OK not to report symptoms or to be tough and try to stay in the game.
Under reporting of symptoms is not only a major issue in all levels of sport, but is also a major health concern (Second Impact Syndrome) to all athletes that do not report accurate symptoms.
You have to be hit in the head to sustain a Concussion
False!
Many people assume the only way to sustain a concussion is via a direct blow to the head. But this is far from reality, other than sport related concussion, what is another population we see with high numbers of concussion injuries? Car Accidents. And you don’t have to hit your head in a car accident to sustain a concussion, similar to a sport related concussion.
A concussion occurs from either a blow, jolt, or bump to the head or body. In any case what happens in these injuries is the brain bounces rapidly within the skull, irregardless of where the impact occurs. It is this sudden movement or jolt which then causes change at a microscopic level in the brain, along with the chemical changes that accompany it.
Will a MRI or CT Scan will show my Concussion
No!
As of now there is no definitive test, other than a clinical exam, to be able diagnose a concussion. MRI and CT Scans are great tools in terms of looking for a fracture or a brain bleed, but are not able to detect a concussion. Unless serious injury such as a skull fracture or brain bleed is suspected, there is no indication to get a CT Scan or a MRI.
There is some early research in the field of looking for blood biomarkers and brain imaging to be able to diagnose a concussion, but nothing that can be used as of now.
The only diagnostic tool we have as clinicians is our clinical assessment and our clinic judgement.
All Healthcare Practitioners know how to Treat a Concussion
False!
Although many healthcare practitioners are well versed in injury management, not every practitioner has the same background knowledge or experience in dealing with concussion and head injuries.
So where does an athlete turn then, if they can’t trust the information being given by a coach, a parent or even the emergency doctor or their own family physician. The answer isn’t as simple as go see a certain type of practitioner. The answer lies within the practitioner themselves, are they trained and knowledgeable in concussion management? Are they up to date on the best practices of concussion management?
So before you seek out medical advice for a concussion, or any injury for this matter, make sure you are both asking the right questions, but also asking those questions to the right people.
This by no means is a comprehensive list of all of the myths and questions around concussions. If you have any further questions feel free to ask in the comment section below!
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