by Dr. David McKalip

Modern Mom - Health & Fitness

March 10, 2010

It's not "just" a concussion - it's a brain injury. It's also the most common type of brain injury sustained in sports with 1.6-3.8 million Americans experiencing a concussion from a sports and recreation-related incident. Multiple concussions can have cumulative and long lasting life changes, which makes March's Brain Injury Awareness Month vital

"Even if you don't hit your head, you could have sustained a concussion. It happens if you've been indirectly hit somewhere on the body - the force can be transmitted to the head, causing a concussion," said neurosurgeon, David M. McKalip, M.D. Concussions do not appear in neuroimaging studies like a MRI or CAT scan and most do not involve loss of consciousness. "There are 1.4 million traumatic brain injuries (TBI) each year in the U.S. and 75 percent of those are typically concussions so it's important to know the risks, prevention measures and treatments when they occur," said Dr. McKalip.

The leading causes to youth concussions (ages 5-18 years) are bicycling, football, basketball, playground activities and soccer. Not diagnosing or managing a concussion could result in serious long-term consequences, or risk of coma or death. "In most cases, signs and symptoms may be noticeable right away. In other cases, it could take days or weeks before any sign is present so if someone experiences a blow to the head or body, it's best to see a healthcare provider sooner rather than later just in case," says Dr. McKalip.