Everything You Need To Know About Field Hockey Concussions in South Jersey

Field hockey continues to grow as a popular sport for young women. Unfortunately, players are at risk for a number of acute injuries, including concussions. In fact, concussions make up about 7% of the total injuries sustained during field hockey competitions.

If you or someone you love plays this sport either competitively or recreationally, it is important to get the facts about the potential dangers of field hockey concussions in South Jersey. At Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, we want to help educate athletes and their families about injury prevention, identification, and treatment.

What Is A Concussion?
A concussion is a type of brain injury that is caused either by an impact to the head or an impact to the body, causing the brain to move rapidly inside the skull and sustaining injury. This impact interferes with the normal functioning of the brain and should be taken seriously by athletes, their families, and by medical professionals.

Unlike other sports injuries which can be prevented through proper training or resting to avoid overuse, a concussion can happen in an instant simply by accident. Two players may both be going for the same ball and knock heads. And, considering how hard the ball and sticks are in this sport, even when lifted off of the playing surface legally, they can still cause significant injuries, including concussions.

How Do You Recognize A Concussion?
There are ten early signs of concussions that all athletes and their loved ones should be aware of, which include:

• Unconsciousness
• Short term memory loss
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Problems with coordination and balance
• Blurred vision/ringing in ears
• Difficulty with vision
• Emotional changes
• Issues with sleep

Not every concussion will result in all of these symptoms, so it is important to monitor athletes carefully after any blow to the head. If one or more of the symptoms above does manifest, schedule an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible.

When you make an appointment with your doctor, he or she ask about your symptoms and the initial injury as well as reviewing your medical history. The doctor will also conduct a neurological examination that will check: vision, hearing, strength and sensation, balance, coordination, and reflexes. Cognitive and imaging tests may also be used for further evaluation. In certain cases, your doctor may recommend overnight hospitalization for observation or 24 hours of observation at home by a loved one.

How Is A Concussion Treated?
Treatments may vary for field hockey concussions in South Jersey, depending upon the severity of the injury. Typically, rest is the best option to allow the brain to recover from such an injury. During the prescribed rest period, both physical and mental exertion should usually be avoided. So, athletes will have to sit out of games and practice and may also have to limit participation at school or work as well. Activities can be resumed gradually, with permission from the doctor.

Athletes should never return to their sport or training while signs of a concussion are still present.

How Can You Prevent Field Hockey Concussions in South Jersey?
At Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, we want to help athletes avoid field hockey concussions in South Jersey. This is especially important in athletes who have already experienced one concussion, as repeat brain injuries put them at a greater lisk for lasting problems.

Wearing the appropriate safety equipment is one of the best steps athletes can take to protect themselves. Additionally, learning about concussions, as well as their signs and symptoms, can help to increase awareness and reduce the possibility of repeated or undiagnosed injury.

For more information, please visit us here or contact us at 1-800-321-9999.