1. There is a very real risk of death if an adolescent athlete returns to play too soon after a concussion.
2. Despite this (among other scary statistics), kids are still not reporting their symptoms. If you are a parent of an adolescent athlete, please talk to him or her about the long-term complications of “playing through it.”
3. Chronic symptoms include, but are not limited to, persistent headaches, visual disturbances, imbalance, emotional lability, depression, anxiety, and difficulties with concentration and cognition. Think about your child not being able to get a college degree or hold down a steady job because he didn’t want to sit out a week or two of practice in high school football.
4. There is no such thing as a concussion-proof helmet. Period.
5. If you find yourself saying an athlete “got his bell rung,” shame on you. Welcome to 2012.
6. Not all physicians fully understand concussion management.
7. In order to return to play, an athlete must rest and become symptom-free.
8. After that, he or she must demonstrate a return to baseline on neurocognitive testing.
9. After that, he or she must complete a gradual, exertional return to play protocol without having recurrence of symptoms.
10. There are no exceptions.