A concussion is treated by immediately removing the athlete from activity, arranging medical assessment, managing symptoms, and following a gradual return-to-learn and return-to-sport programme. The athlete must not return to sport on the same day as the suspected concussion.
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury caused by a direct or indirect force to the head. It can temporarily impair brain function, producing symptoms such as headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, balance problems, memory difficulties, and sensitivity to light or noise.
Initial management follows the principle: recognize and remove. A qualified healthcare professional should assess the athlete. Worsening headache, repeated vomiting, seizures, neck pain, increasing confusion, weakness, or loss of consciousness requires urgent emergency care.
For the first 24-48 hours, treatment normally involves relative rest, not complete physical and cognitive inactivity. Light daily activities are permitted if they do not significantly worsen symptoms. Sleep, hydration, appropriate nutrition, and medically supervised symptom management support recovery.
| Recovery phase | Appropriate intervention |
|---|---|
| Relative rest | Limit strenuous exercise, screen exposure, and demanding cognitive activity while maintaining tolerable daily activity. |
| Return to learning | Gradually resume schoolwork, with breaks or reduced workload if required. |
| Light aerobic activity | Begin walking or stationary cycling at low intensity. |
| Sport-specific exercise | Add controlled movement without risk of head impact. |
| Non-contact training | Increase exercise intensity and coordination demands. |
| Contact training | Resume only after medical clearance. |
| Full return | Return to competition when symptom-free and medically cleared. |
Each stage usually lasts at least 24 hours. If symptoms return, the athlete should stop, recover, and resume from the previous symptom-free stage under professional guidance.
A common misconception is that concussion always involves loss of consciousness. Most concussions do not.
Exam technique: For IB SEHS subtopic B.3.2, explain both the immediate intervention and the progressive recovery process. Emphasize removal from play, medical assessment, relative rest, staged progression, symptom monitoring, and medical clearance.
