Concussion

What is a Concussion?

The term concussion refers to a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) resulting in a temporary loss of awareness or consciousness. Concussions can result from falls in which the head strikes against an object, or when a moving object strikes the head.

The length of unconciousness may relate to the severity of the concussion, and affected individuals often have no memory of the events preceding the injury or immediately after regaining consciousness. Other symptoms include vomiting and unequally sized pupils.

Concussions are classified into five grades, as follows.

Grade I: Involves only confusion.

Grade II: Involves anterograde amnesia of less than five minutes as well as confusion.

Grade III: Involves the Grade I and II symptoms as well as retrograde amnesia and unconsciousness lasting up to 5 minutes.

Grade IV: Involves the Grade I, II, and III symptoms as well as unconsciousness lasting 5-10 minutes.

Grade V: Same as Grade IV, except unconsciousness lasts longer than 10 minutes.

Treatment of a Concussion

The best course of action depends on the severity of the concussion. In all cases, care should be taken to avoid a second blow to the head until well after the symptoms have subsided. If you are unsure of how best to proceed, a trained medical professional should be consulted for guidance.

Alphabetical Index of Injuries:

» Achilles Tendon Rupture
» Achilles Tendonitis
» Calf Pull, Strain, or Tear
» Concussion
» Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
» Dislocated Shoulder
» Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)
» Groin Pull, Strain, or Tear
» Hamstring Pull, Strain, or Tear
» Heel Spurs (Bone Spurs)
» High Ankle Sprain (Syndesmotic Ankle Sprain)
» Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS)
» Little League Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)
» Plantar Fasciitis
» Runner’s Knee (Chondromalacia Patellae)
» Separated Shoulder
» Sever’s Disease (Calcaneal Apophysitis)
» Shin Splints
» Sprained AC Joint
» Sprained Ankle
» Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
» Torn Rotator Cuff
» Turf Toe (Metatarsalphalangeal Joint Sprain)