Doctors Hold 'Ethical Obligation' of Sports Concussion Patients

Statistics show that many athletes are at a greater risk for concussions or traumatic brain injuries that can pose life-threatening health complications. For those recovering from a serious head injury, it may be quite some time before they can safely enter the sports arena, again. Unfortunately, some may get back in the swing of sports before they're ready to.

A new position paper published in in the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) journal Neurology calls on doctors to better safeguard athletes' mental and physical health. According to the information, there is an ethical obligation to prevent athletes with sports concussions to returning to sports until they are medically fit to do so.

With concussions occurring at an all-time high, lingering symptoms can often pose serious and lasting health issues, ranging from headaches, temporary loss of consciousness, confusion, amnesia, dizziness, ringing in the ears, nausea, vomiting to slurred speech, delayed response to questions, appearing dazed and continuous fatigue.

Each year in the United States alone, it's estimated that there are between 1.6 million and 3.8 million concussion diagnoses from sports participation--a health issue that's defined as a brain injury by the AAN. The problem is typically more common in high-speed sports, including football, rugby, hockey and soccer. Other sports such as baseball, softball, volleyball and gymnastics pose a smaller risk.

As athletes are unable to diagnose a concussion on their own, clinical evaluation is often needed to determine the level of their health risk. Researchers hope this information will prompt a better discussion on recovery periods for athletes who have endured concussions.

The AAN statement has been released ahead of The Sports Concussion Conference scheduled for July 11-13, 2014, in Chicago where AAN will present the latest developments in the diagnosis and treatment of sports concussion.