ABSTRACT
Return-to-play (RTP) guidelines in concussion management and treatment continue to challenge clinicians, despite recent updates to the protocols and the ongoing media attention. The current guidelines address individualized treatment planning but are difficult to apply to athletes who experience prolonged symptoms, are younger, or have sustained multiple concussions. Recent literature findings have contributed to an improved understanding and applicability of the guidelines while emphasizing a multidisciplinary paradigm in formulating an individualized RTP decision. Successful implementation of the RTP guidelines will ensure that athletes are protected from further injury and return to their baseline functional status.
Subject(s)
Athletic Injuries/diagnosis , Athletic Injuries/therapy , Brain Concussion/diagnosis , Brain Concussion/therapy , Guidelines as Topic , Age Factors , Athletic Injuries/complications , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/complications , Brain Concussion/complications , Decision Making , Guideline Adherence , Humans , Learning Disabilities/complications , Neuropsychological Tests , Recovery of Function , Recurrence , Sex FactorsSubject(s)
Delivery, Obstetric/adverse effects , Hypogastric Plexus/injuries , Leg , Muscle Weakness/etiology , Neural Conduction , Recovery of Function , Retrograde Degeneration/complications , Axons/physiology , Electromyography , Female , Humans , Hypogastric Plexus/physiopathology , Muscle Weakness/physiopathology , Pregnancy , Retrograde Degeneration/diagnosis , Retrograde Degeneration/physiopathology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Traumatic brain injuries that occur during sports have gained significant attention in the literature. Despite improved education and research on proper identification, risk management, and treatment, standardized methods for returning an athlete to play after a concussion are lacking in universal applicability. Current return-to-play guidelines are considered appropriate for the majority of athletes who recover within a few weeks. However, applicability of such guidelines becomes difficult when treating those athletes who experience prolonged symptoms or do not have the resources available to adequately manage complex presentations of concussions. Understanding the guidelines with consideration to special populations will assist the treating physician in providing an appropriate and individualized evaluation and treatment plan to safely return an athlete with a concussion back to play without compromising his or her health.
