The silent epidemic – Concussion – It’s a brain injury!

Concussion is a hot topic in the media at present. There was a news article on seven sharp last night that shows one mans crusade against this silent epidemic. It is a condition that is suffered at all levels of sport from grass roots to professional levels but unfortunately at many levels it is not managed well. This results in serious long term consequences for the athlete which shouldn’t occur if managed correctly.
Fortunately there is a gold standard as to how people with a concussion should be managed and if a person has suffered a concussion that is not resolving, they can be referred to the appropriate services within the ACC system in New Zealand. For this to happen, it must be diagnosed early and monitored appropriately.

The SCAT3 takes people through the appropriate steps in the process of returning a player back to sport but can also be adapted for children to return to school and workers to return to work. Everyone who has had a concussion should be medically cleared by an appropriate health clinician.

Bureta Physiotherapy will work with your doctor to take you through the necessary steps so that your doctor can clear you for sport, school or work. There is a current initiative with Sport BOP to get this message out into the community, which involves players, coaches, parents to come on board.

Concussion is a brain injury! and must be treated with respect.

If you have suffered a concussion contact us for correct baseline testing and to be given the gold standard steps to ensure you are healthy to return to sport, school or work.

If you have had a knock to the head and you have one or some of these symptoms – it is advised that you seek medical attention from GP, or concussion trained Physiotherapist

Symptoms

Headache/pressure
Unbalanced, dizzy
Nausea
Foggy/dazed
Visual disturbance
Hearing
Irritable, emotional changes
De ja vu

Signs
Loss of consciousness, impaired consciousness
Poor co-ordination/balance
Convulsion or impact seizure
Unsteady gait/balance
Slow answer questions, directions
Distractable, poor concentration
Inappropriate emotions
Vomiting (more than 2 x then caution)
Vacant glassy stare
Slurred speech
Personality changes
Inappropriate playing behaviour
Decreased playing ability/affected reaction times