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Concussions

By: Dr Sally Blossom
Concussions. If you have caught any news in the past couple years, it has been quite a hot
topic in the professional sports world as well as the amateur sports world. Gone are the days
of “getting your bell rung” and returning to the game. As research continues to emerge on the
immediate as well as lasting effects of concussions, awareness and precautions have filtered
down to the youth level in order to protect our athletes.

The human brain is a very complex organ that coordinates every single action, process and
thought in our bodies. A concussion happens when we hit or get hit in the head, our bodies
absorb impact that makes our head shake back and forth or absorbs some other kind of trauma
that can injure the brain. We tend to think of sports like football when we think of players who
are most likely to get a concussion. However, athletes of ALL sports from cheerleading to soc-
cer to basketball to football, can suffer from a concussion and it is important to know the signs
and symptoms so our student athletes can be protected.

The symptoms of a concussion are many and the intensity can vary from player to player.
The athlete can appear to be dazed or stunned. He or she may have trouble remembering what
happened before or after the hit took place. The athlete may exhibit confusion or forgetful-
ness. He or she may report having a headache or pressure in the head. He or she may report
having problems keeping their balance. Blurry or double vision, feelings of sluggishness and
trouble concentrating may also be reported by the athlete. These are all signs the student ath-
lete may be suffering from a concussion.

So what do you do if your child is exhibiting these or other symptoms? The best and most
immediate action is to remove him or her from the game. This is usually not a popular deci-
sion, but the risks outweigh the benefit of keeping a child in the game. As I say, when in doubt,
sit it out. Sitting out one, two, three or more games is not worth the child’s brain function,
health and wellbeing. Have your child cleared to play again by a medical professional. Return-
ing to play too soon and before being medically cleared, can put your child at risk for a second
concussion. While rare, the complications from suffering a second concussion before the first
one has healed are devastating and possibly deadly.

Concussions, however mild, should be taken seriously and evaluated. Keep kids in the game
long term by protecting their brain health and remember, when in doubt, sit it out.

Dr. Sally Blossom is a 4th generation chiropractor who practices in the Vassar and Flint ar-
eas. She has practiced for 12 years and her family’s practice has been open for 91 years. Dr.
Sally also serves as the sideline doctor for her alma mater, Vassar High School. She loves
sharing the benefits of chiropractic and can be reached with further questions at drsallyblos-
som@gmail.com.

54 a• Sports Finest Magazine OCT 2019 sportsfinestMagzine.com 989 545 0735 kelly@sportsfinestmagazine.com