Kids With Concussions Need More Healing Time, Study Says

If your child or teenager currently plays a sport in San Clemente in which there is a risk of a concussion or another type of head injury, you probably have some background knowledge about kids and concussions. In recent years, research into sports-related concussions has shown the serious risks that children and teenagers face from concussions on the field, and the ways in which those concussion injuries, especially if they are repeat injuries, can have long-term consequences for the child into adulthood. In response to sports-related concussion research, coaches and schools in California and across the country changed protocols for injuries, requiring children and teens to take a certain amount of time away from games and practices until a head injury heals.

However, according to an article in Medical Daily, recent research published in the journal Orthopedics suggests that kids need significantly more time to heal than previous researchers suggested. Indeed, according to the authors of the study, teens who sustain sports-related concussions need at least a month away from any play to heal properly, and most teenage athletes are not taking that kind of time.

Concussions in Teenagers Heal Slowly

The recent study was conducted by researchers in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine at Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan. The study involved 357 high school students who had an average age of 15.5 years. A majority (62%) of those students studied were males. The researchers observed these teenagers, who were involved in sports, for more than three years from September 2013 until December 2016. They analyzed data from the teen athletes who sustained concussions and compared that information with previous research on high school sports-related concussions.

Of the 357 high schoolers, the researchers determined that 33% of them experienced sports-related concussions, and 14% of them experienced amnesia as a result of their traumatic brain injuries. On average, the teens who sustained concussions—both minor and more severe—during the three-year period required more than 30 days to heal fully before getting back to their respective sports. If the teenager’s concussion was a recurrent or subsequent concussion, meaning that the high schooler had previously sustained another concussion, the average healing time was significantly longer.

Teens Athletes Need More Time Off the Field

A majority of the teen athletes suffered concussions in football (nearly 28%), but more than 70% of the other reported concussions occurred in sports like baseball, hockey, and soccer. Without a month or more of healing time, teens can suffer serious long-term consequences that could be avoided with more time away from the game.

The takeaway message from the study is that teen athletes who sustain concussions need more time off the field to heal than they currently take. As the Medical Daily article underscores, “even though concussions are considered mild traumatic brain injuries, they are serious and should be treated seriously.”

Contact a San Clemente Brain Injury Attorney

If you have questions about traumatic brain injury claims or need assistance with a concussion lawsuit, one of the experienced San Clemente brain injury lawyers at our firm can talk with you today about your case. Contact the Walton Law Firm for more information.

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