It has been estimated there are between 1.6 million to 3.8 million sport-related concussions each year in North America.

The true number is not known as studies estimate more than 80% of individuals can not adequately identify a concussion.

It has been reported that each year almost 50% (47.2%) of high school football players suffer a concussion.
► More than 1/3 of players may have multiple concussions in the same season.

The NCAA, through its Injury Surveillance System (ISS), showed a 7% annual increase in the number of concussions between 1988/1989 and the 2003/2004 seasons.

Not surprisingly the rate of concussions is much higher in high and medium contact sports (including hockey, football, and soccer).

The main reason to be cautious when returning to activity after a concussion is because multiple concussions can lead to significant long-term impairment.

Approximately 225,000 new patients each year show long-term deficits from mild brain injuries (concussions). This is approximately equal to the number of patients diagnosed annually with breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, and traumatic spinal cord injury combined!

Another reason to be more conservative when dealing with a concussion and returning an athlete to play is something called Second Impact Syndrome. It is a very rare and controversial phenomenon that is believed to occur when someone receives another head injury while still symptomatic from a previous concussion. It is characterized by acute brain swelling and has a 70-80% mortality rate.

The classic symptoms of a concussion are headache, confusion, and amnesia often without a loss of consciousness (LOC).

Approximately 80% of sports-related concussions occur without a LOC.

The Symptoms can be subtle and may not appear until many hours after the impact.

Symptoms of concussions include:

Headache (the most common complaint)

Visual and hearing impairment

Lethargy (excessive tiredness)

Insomnia (an inability to sleep)

Amnesia (cant remember the event priors to the hit or after the hit)

Memory impairment (can’t remember things on a day to day basis)

Imbalance or Vertigo (the sense the word is spinning around you) or

Lack of awareness of surroundings

Nausea and vomiting Mood changes (increased irritability)

Cognitive disturbances (feeling like you are in a “fog”)

Sensitivity to light and noise