Concussion
Care for
Young
Athletes
About 1 in 10 young athletes who
participate in contact sports will experience
a concussion, or about 6 to 10 percent.
This translates to 1.8 to 3.6 million
concussions suffered by young
sports players per year in the
United States.
BY HEATHER HOLTSCHLAG
“T
Photo: muzsy / Shutterstock.com
“We do not have a lot of information on how to prevent
he key to properly managing and treating concussions,
concussions, unfortunately,” Dr. Collins noted. “Helmets, for
whether the athlete has suffered one concussion or multiple
instance, can help prevent injuries to the skull, but they cannot
concussions, is to seek treatment from the right kind of
prevent the brain from moving in the head.”
specialist who knows how to use the right tools,” said Micky
Perhaps the best way to monitor the recovery period of a
Collins, PhD, clinical and executive director of the UPMC Sports
concussion is with use of a tool called ImPACT (Immediate PostMedicine Concussion Program, which is the largest concussio