Concussion is an injury to the brain that may be caused by a direct blow to the head, face, neck or elsewhere on the body from an impulsive force transmitted to the head.

Concussion typically results in the rapid onset of short-lived impairment of neurological function that resolves spontaneously.

Concussion may result in neuropathological changes but the acute clinical symptoms largely reflect a functional disturbance rather than structural injury.

Concussion results in a graded set of clinical syndromes that may or may not involve loss of consciousness (LOC).  Resolution of the clinical and cognitive symptoms typically follows a sequential course.

Concussion is typically associated with grossly normal results on conventional neuroimaging studies.

Any athlete who has suffered a concussive event followed by concussion symptoms must be cleared by an approved provider in order to begin a supervised gradual/step-wise return to play (RTP) protocol.

RTP is a 4-7 day progression with a minimum of 24 hours between each step.  A more conservative progression will be followed when prescribed by a provider or deemed appropriate by the supervising Athletic Trainer (AT).

An example of a standard RTP protocol: