FIFA, together with the World Health Organization, has launched a campaign to draw attention to concussions. While data shows that concussions are more common in sports like American Football and rugby, it is the international football governing body that has taken the step to raise awareness of the fact that concussion is a traumatic brain injury.
Concussions can occur in any sport, both during practice or during games. A study published in the American Journal of Paediatrics in 2019 recorded 9,542 concussions over a 5-year period, 64% of which occurred during competition. But the US-based Concussion Foundation and the American Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that as many as 3.8 million concussions occur in the US annually through sports and recreational activities.
According to a press release of the American NFL, the number of concussions reported during the 2022 season was up 18% from the previous year.
However, only a fraction of sports concussions are recognised by athletes, coaches, and parents, and treated by medical professionals, despite them being a traumatic brain injury that always need to be taken seriously.
Signs and symptoms
Anyone who sustains a direct or indirect impact to their head, face, neck or body, should be assessed for concussion symptoms. Symptoms may take up to 72 hours to present. They include headache or a “pressure” sensation, nausea or vomiting, problems with balance, dizziness or being unsteady on one’s feet, distorted/blurry or double vision, sensitivity to light and/or noise, memory problems (difficulty recalling the traumatic event, and/or events before or after), feeling drowsy, confused or unable to focus, and sleep problems.
The campaign focuses on increasing sign and symptom recognition among players, coaches and medical staff, as well as the general public. The campaign highlights that symptoms may take up to 72 hours to appear, and offers guidance on how to return to play safely following a suspected or confirmed concussion.
“Concussion is a brain injury and should always be taken seriously. Playing football should be something enjoyed safely, by everyone, everywhere,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said at the launch of the campaign. “By knowing the signs of concussion, by being aware of the risks, and by treating a concussion correctly, you can help to put player safety first.”
“Concussion is a public health issue of concern at all levels of football, and many other sports, requiring greater levels of awareness and action,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
(Re-)consider your pitch
Where the FIFA and WHO campaign does not delve into possible causes for a concussion, the abovementioned study in the American Journal of Paediatrics stated that about 62% of concussions across all sports were attributed to contact with another person, 16% were due to contact with equipment, and 17.5% were due to contact with a surface.
The latter draws attention to the importance of maintaining natural turf pitches as well as investing in applicable synthetic turf systems.