If Your Child Has Had A Concussion, These Things Might Be Part Of His/Her Sports Physical
Concussions are a serious issue in college and professional contact sports, but it's also important for parents to know that children can suffer concussions, too. If your child has received a concussion while playing in a sports league, it's highly probable that he or she could miss some or all of the remainder of the season. Before the new season begins, your child will likely have to pass a sports physical, and the medical professional who is administering it will want to be sure that the child is no longer struggling with the symptoms of the concussion. Here are some tests that may be a part of the physical.
Physical Movement
One of the challenges of recovering from a concussion is that your child may experience symptoms such as dizziness on a daily basis, and these symptoms can intensify during physical exertion. Your child won't be able to successfully pass the sports physical unless he or she can be physically active without experiencing any side effects. The medical professional overseeing the physical may have your child run on a treadmill, jump rope, or perform some other form of high-tempo exercise and then monitor his or her symptoms.
Vision Test
A vision test is a standard part of a sports physical, but you can expect the medical professional to spend a little more time on this part when dealing with a child who has had a concussion. A child can have problems with his or her vision after a concussion. For example, he or she may have double vision at times and may sometimes experience blurriness. The medical professional will need to be certain that your child's vision is good, as this can indicate that he or she is symptom-free after a concussion.
Sleep Discussion
One of the ways that recovering from a concussion can be challenging is that this type of head injury will often disrupt a person's ability to sleep. Sports physicals aren't just about physical testing. They're also a chance for the medical professional to have a conversation with your child that touches on several topics. Sleep will definitely be on the discussion list, and the medical professional will look for indicators that the child isn't sleeping well. If your child honestly reports sleeping soundly on a consistent basis, this can suggest that he or she is over the concussion and is ready to compete in his or her sport of choice.
To learn more, contact a physician who offers sports physicals.