A study published last Wednesday (14/6) by the British Journal of Sports Medicine recommends new measures to prevent and manage concussions in athletes.

The result of five years of work and based on the results of the International Conference on Concussion in Sports, held in Amsterdam in October 2022, this study conducted by approximately one hundred researchers and international experts, details existing protocols and outlines new strategies.

As far as prevention is concerned, he recommends in particular “modification of the rules in order to minimize collisions”, as in ice hockey, by “prohibiting the defensive gesture consisting of spinning the opponent to block him and catch the ‘ball’, as and “the use of a mouth guard (at all ages).

Another recommendation is that during training and warm-up, “aerobic balance, strength and agility exercises” should be done, with a particular focus on the neck.

In the management of stroke, “strict rest is not recommended, as there is now strong evidence that light-intensity physical activity, such as normal activities of daily living, and aerobic exercise, such as walking and stationary cycling, can help recovery, as well as limiting the time in front of a screen, in the first 48 hours.”

Regarding the long-term effects of concussions, the study states that “no studies have found an increased risk of neurological disease in former amateur athletes, whereas, in contrast, some studies of former professional athletes have reported an association between American football and professional football and the occurrence of neurological diseases later in life”.

In this context, the American Football Association (NFL) announced at the beginning of April the use of a new helmet specially designed to protect athletes from concussions.

Among the gaps to be filled, the research team acknowledges that there are “few data on the management of sports-related concussion in children aged 5 to 12 years and in para-athletes known to be at increased risk of concussion.” .

This particular study also suggests the establishment in the sports world of a “multidisciplinary” working group, as the management of concussions and their consequences on the health of athletes has become a major issue in recent years, leading to the implementation of concussion protocols in some sports.

Many rugby players – and other sports – have revealed that they suffer from neurological disorders (such as permanent brain damage, early-onset dementia, post-traumatic epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, depression, etc.) caused by repeated knocks during their careers.