Identifying and Dealing with Concussions

People in the sports world hear about concussions often, but do they really know what a concussion is or how to identify one?  A concussion is an injury to the head that is caused by a blow to the skull. It can involve a loss of consciousness but it doesn’t have to.

The symptoms that someone would see with a mild concussion include slight mental confusion, some memory loss, some ringing in the ears, mild dizziness and pain in the area where the head was hit.

For a moderate concussion, the person will have mental confusion and definite memory loss. There will also be some headache or dizziness and moderate issues with balance. It’s possible that the person will feel nauseous and vomit.  Moderate concussions also have a loss of consciousness, but one that is less than five minutes in length.

A severe concussion includes the same symptoms as the moderate concussion but at longer lengths. This would mean, for instance, that the mental confusion would last for more than five minutes, the dizziness would be intense, the amnesia would be prolonged, etc.

If an athlete thinks that he has had a concussion, or if he experiences a blunt hit to the head, he should be removed from the competition and not left alone. He needs medical attention immediately and he should avoid contact sports for at least three weeks.

When Your Running Injury Needs Atention

If you are a runner, then you know that you’re likely to deal with aches and pains at times. You can usually run through most of these aches without having any permanent damage. As an initial treatment for injuries, you should try R.I.C.E. which includes Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.

If, however, this plan doesn’t work in about two to three weeks, it’s probably time to seek out a sports medicine professional for help.

Similarly, if you have any of the following symptoms, then it may also be time to seek assistance from a professional. These include sever pain in joints or bones, pain that radiates from a different area of the body, injuries that are painful to touch, significant swelling, difficulty moving part of your body, or numbness or tingling in a certain area.

Rotator Cuff Injuries

If you think that you’ve torn your rotator cuff, it is certainly important to seek medical attention. Here is a way to know if you need medical help. You should go to the doctor is the pain continues for 2-3 days, if you can’t work because of the pain, if you can’t reach up or to the side with the arm that is injured after 2-3 days, or if you can’t move either the shoulder or arm at all.

When you go to the doctor, you’ll be asked for a complete medical history and you’ll have both shoulders looked at for comparison. They will also take a look at your neck, elbows and wrists to make sure that there aren’t injuries there that are contributing to the problem.

You’ll be asked to make certain movements to see how limited your range of movement is and the clinician will also initiate some movements to see how you feel and what you can do. It’s possible that they will do certain tests to identify which tendon is causing the problem and to make a confirmation that it’s the rotator cuff that’s torn and not simply an inflammation or other issue.

Floating for Sports Injury Relief

While this may sound slightly strange, one alternative method of relieving sports injuries is through floatation. Floatation? Yes. Floatation actually takes the pressure off of your sore joints and muscles and allows your body to relax. It increases blood circulation and accelerates your healing process.

The way that it works is that an athlete goes to a floatation rehab center and goes into the floatation pod. Sessions are usually an hour long. The lid of the floatation tank can either be closed or left open and the lights in the room can either be turned off or left on. The salt water in the pod allows the athlete to continue floating.

Sports psychologists are well aware of the benefits of relaxation and of floatation for rehab. It balances the autonomous nervous system, reduces stress and anxiety and takes the pressure off of joints. It also helps the athlete to improve concentration and to learn to relax, which can enhance performance.