Concussion Management FAQs

• When can I / my child return-to-play/school? Recent research suggests that 90% of sport related concussions resolve in between 10-14 days. With that said, we treat each patient individually. As we all hope your child will return to normal within the suggested time frame, there is no guarantee that it will happen. Our approach is to get patients into a remediation pathway to identify symptoms and be able to modify your child's life so we can get them back to school and sport as quickly and safely as possible.
• What is my role as a parent or family member in my child's recovery? Concussion can range from minimal symptoms to being very debilitating. When dealing with brain injury it is important to be flexible as it can bring confusion to the injured person, especially for children. Parents and family members can help by educating themselves in concussion symptoms and how to modify the environment or behavior based on the specific symptoms your child may be having. For example, if your child is experiencing sensitivity to light, try having the child wear sunglasses to reduce discomfort.
• What are the signs and symptoms of a concussion? There are 22 common signs and symptoms associated with concussion. Headache being the most common symptom, other signs and symptoms such as dizziness, nausea and or vomiting, not feeling right, brain fog, confusion, memory loss, visual, or balance problems can also develop with concussion. Emotional symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, or depression and sleep disturbance are also common after a concussion.
• What activities put a person at risk for suffering a concussion? Sports such as football, soccer, rugby, wrestling, hockey, lacrosse, skiing and snowboarding,  basketball, baseball, cheerleading, and volleyball can put athletes at a higher risk of head injury because the high impact or collision rates/occurrences tend to be higher. Many sports have the capacity of inherent risk for injury, including concussion.
• My child sustained a concussion. Should I take him/her to see a doctor? All athletes who sustain a concussion need to be evaluated by a healthcare professional who is familiar with sports concussions. If your child has an established physician, call and explain what has happened. Follow your physician’s instructions. If your child is vomiting, has a severe headache, or is having difficulty staying awake or answering simple questions, they should be taken to an emergency department or urgent care immediately. 
• Is it okay to give my child medicine for a headache? Relieving headache pain is appropriate, but it does not replace the need for cognitive and physical rest if symptoms are present. Be aware that symptom improvement with medication does not mean that the brain has recovered. After a concussion is diagnosed, talk to your physician about the use of medication — including type of medication and dose — for headache pain and other symptoms.
• What are the long-term effects of concussions on the brain? Persistent post-concussive symptoms — also called post-concussion syndrome — occur when symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury last longer than expected after an injury.
  Long-term effects of concussion are rare. In fact, the vast majority of people see symptoms resolve within a few weeks. Only a small percentage of people suffer from post-concussion syndrome, where they continue to experience symptoms after six weeks. However, the more concussions you get, the more likely you are to suffer long term consequences, especially if you don’t give your brain enough time to heal between injuries.
• Who is at greater risk to experience a concussion? Those who have had a history of concussions and those involved in high collision types of sports are at a greater risk of concussion. Returning to physical activity too soon following a concussion can also put you at higher risk for sustaining another concussion, which can be very dangerous.
• Why is baseline concussion testing important? Baseline testing is a neurocognitive exam that takes a snapshot of a healthy brain. The testing consists of short and long term memory assessment, reaction time games, and impulse control games to understand how your brain functions in normal times. Baseline testing is useful for athletes and is one of the many tools practitioners use to evaluate concussion, and recovery from concussions. Other tools include, but are not limited to, Sport Concussion Assessment Tools (SCAT), Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening, balance testing, school homework and grades evaluation and other objective measurements.
  Parents play a very important role in their child’s recovery, and can utilize baseline measures to observe and manage evaluation and recovery.
  Lake Tahoe Unified School District requires a baseline test for athletic clearance. LTUSD ImPact Concussion Baseline Test >
• What is the treatment plan for a concussion? Treatment will depend on symptoms, including emotional, physical, and cognitive symptoms. It is very important that you have physical and mental rest after a concussion because rest helps the brain to heal. Activity modification may be established for your recovery as part of the rehabilitation plan. Everybody’s circumstances are different, and their ability to get back to “normal” will depend on what their lifestyle entails. Our concussion team will work with you to personalize your recovery based on your activities and lifestyle to get you back on track.