Sports Physicals and Impact Concussion Q&A

After a serious injury, like a concussion, it’s crucial to take ample time to recover before returning to sports. This is because being active with a head injury elevates your risk of developing a more serious brain injury. The decision on when it’s safe for you to return to sports will be made by a doctor and depends on the severity of your symptoms and your medical history.

Your symptoms need to be completely resolved before you return to sports, meaning that you are no longer using medicines to alleviate your symptoms. In most cases, a doctor must provide the coach or school with written permission for the individual to return to sports.

The recovery protocol usually takes several weeks to complete and is the safest way to gradually ease back into physical activity. If you or your child have experienced a concussion, the healthcare professionals at PACS Urgent Care can help manage the symptoms and expedite recovery.

To return to sports safely, both professional and recreational athletes must follow a structured protocol to fully recover from their concussion. The steps in this process include:

• Rest – During the first few days or weeks after your concussion, you will need to get plenty of sleep and limit physical and mentally stimulating activities. 
• Light activity – In this phase, it’s crucial to continue to take it easy. Returning to light day-to-day activities slowly is recommended. If symptoms worsen with the change in activity, cut back on how much you are doing.
• Moderate activity – Once symptoms are mild or nearly gone, you can return to most regular activities. It’s important to do so gradually and take breaks if concussion symptoms worsen. You can get back into exercising, but you should avoid activities that could cause an injury.
• Return to play – After all your symptoms are gone, it is safe to return to regular activities such as professional or recreational sports.

During the entire process, it’s crucial to monitor how you are feeling and inform your healthcare provider if symptoms reappear. In this case, you will go back to the previous step in the process until you are ready to progress again.

It’s dangerous to play sports if you have a concussion and are still experiencing symptoms. When people participate in sports despite having a head injury, they put themselves at risk of second impact syndrome (SIS). This condition causes the brain to rapidly swell shortly after the second concussion. It carries a high risk of permanent disability or fatality. As no game or practice is worth the chance of dying, it is extremely important to follow the doctor’s orders and sit out of physical activity until you are cleared.

Overall, it is very dangerous to participate in sports if you haven’t fully recovered from a brain injury, such as a concussion. It’s important to take care of yourself by following the recovery steps carefully to ensure you are fully well before returning to sport.

Concussions, even the mildest ones, can cause both short-term and lasting effects on your brain and general wellness. Your symptoms from the injury may last for days, weeks, or months. Fortunately, concussion symptoms often resolve after a few weeks.

When your concussion symptoms last for three months or longer, it is known as post-concussion syndrome or PCS. This condition can be permanent if left untreated; however, it can be managed and improved with treatment. The symptoms of PCS include headaches, brain fog, anxiety, dizziness, and memory problems.

To prevent long-lasting implications from your concussion, it’s important to seek prompt treatment after such an injury. The experts at PACS Urgent Care can develop a treatment plan to support you in your recovery and return to sport. For more information, contact us today or check-in online. We are open 7 days a week and have two convenient locations to serve you in Alexandria VA, and Ruther Glen VA. We serve patients from Alexandria VA, Ruther Glen VA, Huntington VA, Arlington VA, Bagdad VA, Athens VA, Doswell VA, and surrounding areas.