Concussion and Return to Sports

Concussion

Understanding what a concussion is, how it should be treated, and when it is safe to return to activities are important for the athlete, parent, and treating physician. Below is a brief outline of the guidelines for returning to athletics after a concussion and some links to additional information.

Return to Play

Baseline (Step 0): After a concussion is diagnosed, or suspected, the athlete should be immediately removed from participation in athletic activities. The athlete needs to symptom-free for a minimum of 24 hours before starting this phased recovery. Keep in mind, the younger the athlete, the more conservative the treatment.

Step 1: Light Aerobic Exercise

The Goal: only to increase an athlete’s heart rate.
The Time: 5 to 10 minutes.
The Activities: exercise bike, walking, or light jogging.
Absolutely no weight lifting, jumping or hard running.

Step 2: Moderate Exercise
The Goal: limited body and head movement.
The Time: Reduced from typical routine
The Activities: moderate jogging, brief running, moderate-intensity stationary biking, and moderate-intensity weightlifting

Step 3: Non-contact Exercise

The Goal: more intense but non-contact
The Time: Close to Typical Routine
The Activities: running, high-intensity stationary biking, the player’s regular weightlifting routine, and non-contact sport-specific drills. This stage may add some cognitive component to practice in addition to the aerobic and movement components introduced in Steps 1 and 2.

Step 4: Practice

The Goal: Reintegrate in full contact practice.

Step 5: Play

The Goal: Return to competition