Dr. Thomas Romeas, a sports scientist at the Institut national du sport du Quebec, recently published “Where is the research on sport-related concussion in Olympic athletes? A descriptive report and assessment of the impact of access to multidisciplinary care on recovery.”
His report spotlighted the need for both interdisciplinary and early management of sport-related concussions (SRC) among Olympic athletes. His report showed the importance of intervention on athletes’ recovery trajectories.
The report separated out athletes who received intervention within 7 days (called "early intervention"), and those with delayed care beyond this period.
The report found a striking difference in Return to Sport durations! Athletes with earlier access to a team of clinicians demonstrated significantly shorter return-to-sport durations, with a median of 26.0 days compared to 45.0 days for those receiving delayed treatment.
This disparity underscores the pivotal role of prompt medical attention in expediting athletes’ rehabilitation and safe return to sport.
There were also some findings regarding a correlation between severity of symptoms at the time of injury and length of recovery and some gender differences.
The main take-away message is this: we need to intervene early and we need to work together with other disciplines to take care of our athletes!
Br J Sports Med.2024 Jul 19:bjsports-2024-108211.doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2024-108211. Online ahead of print.
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