Mild Concussion: how long did it take to heal?

[Bravada 442 0]

Get your daughter to get IMPACT testing. It won't be as helpful since she probably doesn't have a baseline test to tell where she was when properly healthy, but I've seen these tests and on mild concussions (rating 1-3 on a scale of 1-10) full cognitive function doesn't return for anywhere between 4-8 weeks.

Nonetheless, concussions are nothing to fiddle with. EVERY major sports organization has made them a point of emphasis this season and there is a reason why.

Don't play with it, don't ask on the computer, get her to a doctor and get her taken care of.

[MLSman 22]

You can't put a timeline on a concussion. Every one will have various degrees, and will take a different amount of time to recover. There are no generalities with head trauma. The key is to establish a level of trust with the person so that they will tell you all of the symptoms. Baseline testing will determine brain and eye response but headaches, vertigo, and nausea can not be determined by examination...it can only be articulated by the player.

mdamson's post at the end is a great guideline for a return to play. The key is to focus on the fact that these are steps....not timelines. In addition, you will see other symptoms that are NOT physical. Depression is a major symptom of post concussion syndrome. You may recognize a difference in mood and personality. These are all symptoms, and this is why it is incredibly difficult to generalize head trauma.

[mdamson 0]

I agree completely. There is no substitute for a full doctor's evaluation by a doctor experienced with this type of problem. The information that I supplied is not substitute for a full evaluation by a doctor experienced with concussions. I provided the information mainly as a guide, since the information that I received from other areas of the medical community was less than helpful. I have seen some doctors recommending sitting out for a few days and then they could go right back to playing.

In my opinion all players for all sports should undergo the IMPACT testing prior to the start of the season. This testing should be administered to every team under the guidance of a professional. You would then have a baseline for evaluation later upon a concussion event, since everyone performs differently on the test relative to each other. I asked the doctors why this isn't done and they replied that it was because no one has the funding in place to have each test professionally evaluated. I replied that it didn't need to be evaluated until a concussion had been sustained. Then they could go back and get the test and use it as a baseline. They basically replied that each test had to be evaluated professionally to screen out players who currently had problems. In my book that is a crock of crap to avoid any litigation. So basically because they cannot sit on any information without evaluating it due to being afraid of lawsuits, no one gets the benefits of a pre season evaluation.

Get your daughter to get IMPACT testing. It won't be as helpful since she probably doesn't have a baseline test to tell where she was when properly healthy, but I've seen these tests and on mild concussions (rating 1-3 on a scale of 1-10) full cognitive function doesn't return for anywhere between 4-8 weeks.

Nonetheless, concussions are nothing to fiddle with. EVERY major sports organization has made them a point of emphasis this season and there is a reason why.

Don't play with it, don't ask on the computer, get her to a doctor and get her taken care of.

[Shark#81 0]

i had wicked whiplash concussion water skiing. same sort of thing. sore neck, up the side of my head. had trouble driving, doing the jumbles in the paper. my head would heat up etc. took me 10-12 days to heal up.

[mdamson 0]

I found this very interesting article which actually starts to address some of the issues surrounding concussions in hockey. It looks like the Mayo Clinic is getting very aggressive in doing research to help stem the tide of concussions in sport: Mayo Research

[hunterphfr 12]

You should not be letting her play hockey until quite a while after ALL symptoms subside, then receive clearance. One trip and fall into the boards or an odd check while she's trying to "play at 65%" and her head could be messed up for life. When you're potentially messing with the chance of a second concussion and Post Concussion Syndrome, play it 100% safe. With something such as your head, you don't want to take chances. Or, if you choose otherwise, maybe ask a couple guys who can no longer get out of bed in the morning without feeling "off" all day for years upon years.

This is especially true and critical in the developing young brain. Research has shown that a developing brain that suffers a second concussion before the first concussion has completely healed can cause severe, lifelong debilitating and even life threatening injury. The Lystedt Law in Washington State is named after an individual that requires a wheelchair and 24/7 care after suffering a concussion in a football game and returning to play after sitting out a while. Playing through a concussion isn't like playing through a musculo/skeletal injury.