National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Management of Sport Concussion

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To provide athletic trainers, physicians, and other health care professionals with best-practice guidelines for the management of sport-related concussions. BACKGROUND: An estimated 3.8 million concussions occur each year in the United States as a result of sport and physical activity. Athletic trainers are commonly the first medical providers available onsite to identify and evaluate these injuries. RECOMMENDATIONS: The recommendations for concussion management provided here are based on the most current research and divided into sections on education and prevention, documentation and legal aspects, evaluation and return to play, and other considerations.