It's fall, and that means its time for football! If you’re anything like me, waking up on a Saturday and watching college football (Go Cyclones) or on Sunday and watching NFL (Go Pack Go) all day long sounds like a perfect weekend. Or even maybe a high school game under Friday night lights! Football is a game that seems to unite almost everybody in the fall no matter what your favorite team is. You have the highs of celebrating touchdowns, celebrating a big win, and even doing the Juicy Wiggle after the Cyclones made a big play, but you also have the downs of losing. The team bonding, competition, and community fan base are what make sports and football so much fun to watch. However, just like every other sport injuries play a major role in the game and in football one of the most common injuries are concussions. 

What truly are concussions? Concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, in which the brain is jolted rapidly inside the skull. They are most commonly caused by a bump or blow to the head. Think helmet to helmet or head hitting the ground on the football field. Concussions can also be caused from a powerful hit to the body causing a whiplash-like movement to the head. No matter the mechanism a concussion is all the same. Concussions used to be graded by symptoms and were graded Grade 1-3, however modern science has shifted away from this grading scale due to being too simplistic and misleading. Nowadays concussions are diagnosed based on a patient specific symptom based evaluations. The most common concussion is called a Sport Concussions Assessment Tool (SCAT), in which we are currently on the 6th iteration of the test. Yes, these are the tests and evaluations that include reaction and balance, memory of words and numbers, stating the months in reverse order, and counting backwards by 7. I know everybody loves these tests (wink wink), but they are important and there are other important evaluations and tests that are performed to help diagnose. Because we don’t grade concussions anymore, a concussion is simply a concussion. Everybody’s symptoms may be a little different and their return to play (or activity) may be different.

Most common symptoms of concussions are headaches, amnesia either before or after the event, nausea or vomiting, blurred vision and dizziness, light and noise sensitivity, irritability, and a sensation of feeling “off” or in a “daze”. You do not need to lose consciousness in order to have a concussion. It is important to monitor symptoms closely and be honest with your health care provider to ensure a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. Return to play treatment plans are essential in returning the patient or athlete back to health and activity properly and avoiding reinjury or Second Impact Syndrome (rare but life threatening condition).

Science has come a long way in knowing the science behind a concussion since we were first introduced to concussions in the 18th and 19th centuries. We are now able to diagnose a concussion due to recognizing nerve and chemical changes in the brain. Concussions lead to bruising of the brain which in turn causes a neurometabolic cascade of changes to the brain. Neurons start to release and absorb nutrients incorrectly, there is a decreased blood flow to the brain, there is a decrease in glucose to the brain, and nerve fibers struggle to communicate with each other.

Wearing proper equipment while playing sports is crucial for limiting the risk of concussions. There are numerous studies and experiments trying to make the most protective equipment possible for athletes that are being conducted right now. Knowing the signs and symptoms of concussions and seeking out proper care when suspecting a concussion is vital in a patient’s or athlete’s health. At Ames Spine and Sport we are happy to assist and evaluate for any potential concussions you or your family members may be experiencing.