HealthZone Medical: Sideline Concussion Cares

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Guy injures himself

Sideline concussion cares

We tend to see more concussive injuries in winter sports. Coaches, trainers, family and friends can have an important role to play in the best management of a concussion.

A concussion is a disturbance in brain function caused by a direct or indirect force to the head. It can result in a variety of symptoms and often does not involve loss of consciousness. Concussion should be suspected if any one or more of the following are present:

  • Physical symptoms (such as headache, dizziness or vomiting)
  • Physical signs (such as unsteadiness)
  • Impaired brain function (such as confusion or memory loss)
  • Abnormal behaviour

Managing a concussion follows the ‘Five Rs’:

RECOGNISE the injury.

REMOVE the athlete from the event…”if in doubt, you’re out” applies.

REFERRAL to a doctor for a more detailed neurological assessment.

REST for the next two to three days.

RETURN to play following a medically supervised plan.

The majority of people will make a full recovery within three weeks. Children and teenagers tend to take longer to recover and a return to contact sport is usually only considered once they have successfully returned to full time academic study or paid work. Sometimes they will benefit from a stepwise return to full study or work activity.

A small number of concussed athletes will take longer to recover. There are specialist multi-disciplinary concussion clinics for these people.

Healthzone Medical is located on the ground floor inside AUT Millennium.

Go through the entrance doors of the main building, past the Café and past the stairs on the left and you will see us.

If you would like to make an appointment please contact one of our friendly receptionists on 09 4772090

Dr Simon Mayhew

HealthZone Medical

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