International expert guidelines suggest that all athletes with a concussion progress through a graduated Return to Play (RTP) Protocol designed to expose athletes to increasing levels of physical activity while monitoring their concussion symptoms.
Using this RTP protocol, athletes should be asymptomatic for 7 days before progressing to stage 2 (Light aerobic exercise). From there, the athlete must remain asymptomatic for 24 hours at each stage before progressing to the next stage
If an athlete develops post-concussion symptoms at one stage, they are instructed to drop down to the previous stage and try to progress again after a full 24-hours of rest has passed.
The graduated RTP protocol is outlined below:
Once advancing through stage 4 of the graduated RTP protocol, the athlete should be medically cleared by a physician (medical doctor) to return to full-contact sports participation by a physician. If the student expereinces any recurrent symptoms once returned to play, they should immediately notify their parents, coaches, and teachers, and seek medical attention from a physcian.
NOTE: Return to Play programs are to be supervised by a professional before any part of the program is started. Safety is our priority!