If you pay attention to the world of sports, right now the major focus of concussions and other head-trauma injuries is on the NFL—and rightfully so: football is a high impact game that sees its fair share of hard hits and accidents. But, just because the NFL is at the center of the concussion discussion, doesn’t mean it’s the only sport where concussions happen.
Basketball concussions are common sports injuries in Brampton, but are far less talked about than their football counterparts. But, just because players aren’t colliding with each other at full speed and taking each other to the ground violently doesn’t mean that concussions can be swept under the rug in basketball! In fact, it’s important to recognize how and why basketball concussions occur, in order to better recognize them and belay the effects they might have on a player.
Recognizing a basketball concussion
Concussions on the court can happen in a number of different ways, but nevertheless have the same chance of happening during the fast-paced game that is basketball. Here are a couple of common things to watch out for and immediately pinpoint as potential concussion situations:
- A player falls to the court and hits their head, whether they’re tripped, come down from a jump poorly or get tangled up with another player.
- A player in the middle of a group accidently takes an elbow or hand to the face as the ball is passed around.
- A player who isn’t facing the ball accidently takes a hit to the back of the head from an errant or overshot pass.
As you can see, each of the above situations involves head trauma of some sort. This is a key indicator in concussions, no matter the sport being played and needs to be observed closely when it occurs.
Assessing a basketball concussion
Now, when trauma to the head does occur on the paint, it’s important to immediately assess an individual for a concussion. Concussion protocol is quickly being adopted by medical and coaching staffs in every sport, and it generally follows the same guidelines:
- A general player assessment will be done, with the player rating their condition as good, poor, bad or severe when asked about certain symptoms, including blurred vision, dizziness, neck pain, feeling “foggy,” nervousness or anxiety and/or trouble remembering or concentrating.
- Vision tests will be done to gauge eye responsiveness.
- A quick cognition test will be done to gauge awareness and metal state, which can include questions like “what month is it” or “what is your middle name,” as well as a task that requires players to recite words or phrases back after hearing them.
- A balance examination is done to make sure dizziness or drowsiness isn’t affecting a person’s motor function.
The above are just a few of the core tests that are essential in treating concussions as sports injuries in Brampton—there are even more tests that comprise a larger battery of tests that are focused on player safety.
Remember, proper play and constant awareness are the best tools in a player’s arsenal when it comes to avoiding concussions. And, while football players are the poster children for concussion awareness, these injuries can happen in any sport, including basketball.