Concussion Care and Management for Gymnasts

Course overview

This course is part 3 of a 10 part series which may be taken independently or as a part of Gymnastics Sports Medicine Certification GSMC offered by MedGym Concussion in sport is a topic with a vast array of research in recent decades most on contact sports and helmet based activities. Gymnastics has always been a concussion risk due to the accuracy required of skill performance and the slight margin of error often needed for increased risk of landing awkwardly, rotating, or falling. Because of the high velocity of flipping, rotating, and landing, and timing that often hovers in the tenths of seconds realm for decision making, risks for head injury have risen. Air awareness sense is important for proper hand and foot placement and a sense of verticality for skill performance. When this is compromised, exposure to potential injury increases. Returning to gymnastics requires full multifactorial recovery and restoration of physical, emotional, neurological, mental, and trust components of ones self. Slow and proper progression with medical monitoring is key to the safest return to sport with decreasing risks involved. Pearls will be given for event and skill specific progression to include readiness, safety, confidence, and performance.