ACSM, Five Sports Medicine Organizations Publish New Guidance on SRCs for Team Physicians
Nearly 1.8 million sports-related concussions (SRCs) happen annually in youth under age 18 in the U.S. Accurate diagnosis and treatment are key for recovery and long-term athlete health. The Team Physician Consensus Conference (TPCC), a project-based alliance of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and five other professional sports medicine organizations, published new guidance to help team physicians effectively manage sports-related concussions in youth and athletes of all ages.
“If you’ve seen one concussion, you’ve only seen one concussion,” said Margot Putukian, MD, FACSM, one of the lead authors and an executive committee member of the TPCC alliance. “Each concussion is unique and needs a thorough history and physical examination.”
The three primary takeaways for team physicians include:
- Sports-related concussions are treatable, and most athletes recover fully within two to four weeks. Symptom-directed management includes appropriate rest, introducing aerobic exercise, sleep hygiene, as well as proper nutrition and hydration.
- Prolonged, strict rest after sports-related concussions slows recovery.While an initial period of physical and relative cognitive rest is recommended, in most cases introducing medically supervised graded activity after two to three days aids recovery.
- Persisting symptoms need to be thoroughly evaluated and may require more comprehensive treatment. It is important to first make sure the brain injury has been diagnosed and treated correctly and then to assess for pre-existing, co-existing and/or resulting biopsychosocial factors that may be present and contribute to ongoing symptoms. A symptom-targeted treatment, which may involve a multi-disciplinary team, is often beneficial.
