Concussion Safety and Prevention

Many have heard of concussions, but few know what they are? So what exactly is a concussion? A concussion is a traumatic brain injury. It usually is the result of a blow to the head but it doesn’t always happen because of a blow to the head.

A first ever tally by the Minnesota Department of Health cited about 3,000 sports related concussions in high school athletes within the past year. And although they cannot be completely prevented, precautions are being made to keep the athletes safe.

Minnesota High Schools follow a very specific set of guidelines called the “Return to Play” protocol once a player has been diagnosed with a concussion. The protocol has 6 steps, and players must have no symptoms for 24 hours before moving on to the next step. They must also pass a test called the impact test.

Although concussions are not completely preventable, the key to staying safe is simply, awareness. Athletes shouldn’t be afraid to compete, and parents shouldn’t discourage their kids from competing, however.