Long term effects of concussions. In this video, Michael D. McCleary, M.D., a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon specializing in primary care sports medicine and non-surgical orthopaedics at Orlando Orthopaedic Center, discusses the long term effects of concussions and what patients and athletes can do to avoid them.
“One of the questions we always get is about long-term consequences from concussions,” says Dr. McCleary. “And it’s a difficult question because we’re still learning more about concussions every year. There are a lot of studies going on to try and monitor the long-term consequences of a single-event concussion and also those who have experienced multiple concussions over time.”
“As it stands right now, we have had excellent protocols in place for the last dozen or so years. As best we can tell, if that protocol’s followed well, the majority of people far and away are going to have no long-term consequences. Especially if the process is not rushed, and we don’t skip steps.”
“In general, it’s important for an athlete to be a good self-reporter on their symptoms. Part of that involves being honest with yourself and really paying attention to the little things that don’t seem normal for you. I always tell the athletes that they’re only hurting themselves if they’re not being honest with themselves or with others because we don’t know what you’re feeling until you report it to us.”
“And one of the biggest things that affect long-term outcomes is making sure that everything is truly back to normal before getting back to play. There are other things that come up down the road. Some athletes have longer-term symptoms, and they don’t resolve as fast as some other patients. And there are some athletes for some reason that could have symptoms for a few months as opposed to a few days or a week. Again, it’s very important to communicate with your physician or medical professional to make sure they know what’s going on, so you are not forced back to play too soon.”
“As it stands now, as long as we can follow these protocols, and don’t skip any steps, most people are going to do just fine. Your risk for future injuries should go down to its previous pre-injury level, and most people are going to be just fine.”
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To learn more about Dr. McCleary visit https://www.orlandoortho.com/physicians/michael-mccleary/
For more about concussions visit https://www.orlandoortho.com/services/concussions/
To learn more about sports medicine visit https://www.orlandoortho.com/subspecialties/sports-medicine/
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