Posted by Myron J. Goodman, DCoE Public Affairs on April 17, 2015
A junior athlete dribbles a basketball. (Photo by Marine Lance Cpl. Paul E. Wyatt)
In a society that never likes to take a break, studies show that young athletes must be sidelined for their own good after sustaining a concussion. An expert with the Safe Concussion Outcome, Recovery and Education (SCORE) Program at Children’s National Medical Center discussed a number of strategies to help youth recover from TBI during last week’s DCoE webinar.
First, the parent, teacher, athlete or doctor needs to understand what full recovery means, said the expert, Gerard A. Gioia, SCORE Pediatric Neuropsychology director.
“We look to see if, functionally, things are back to normal,” Gioia said. “We’d ask, ‘Are you performing at school and at work like you normally do?’”
“Normal” means most symptoms should be gone, including headaches, fatigue, sensitivity to light, trouble with balance and dizziness.
Determining how long athletes should rest after a concussion — and what kind of rest — can be crucial to recovery, he said.