Q: My 9-year-old son suffered a mild concussion while skiing last Sunday. He had headaches for a few days but felt 100% better by Wednesday. We were told he needs to wait a full week post-symptoms before resuming sports activities, however, can he play in a soccer game this Saturday that is very important to him?
A: The recommendation is to wait a full seven days from the last day of any symptoms before resuming any sports activities. So, ideally, he should not take part in any sports before next Wednesday. I can understand the importance of this sporting event for him, but it’s more important he restrain from playing in the game, as complications could arise.
It’s been found in studies that even CT scans and MRIs cannot detect some injuries to the brain, so symptoms like headaches, dizziness, nausea, etc., occurring after a concussion let us know that the brain is still injured and needs proper time to heal. We not only recommend the seven-day waiting period post-symptoms because we worry that your son will fall and hit his head again, but also because any impact or fast movement like running, jumping, or swinging can aggravate the brain injury and not allow for proper healing.
– Answer from Dr Arun Phophalia, a licensed Pediatrician in JustAnswer
