You have been treated for Concussion during sport or another activity. You have had a thorough examination and are now considered fit to be discharged. The following instructions will aid your recovery.
Sports concussion return to play guidelines
(To be used in conjunction with Head Injury advice leaflet)
Adapted from Summary and Agreement Statement of the 2nd International Conference on Concussion in Sport, Prague 2004
You have suffered a head injury during sport or another activity, causing concussion. You have been given a leaflet that gives you advice about management of your symptoms immediately after your injury; this leaflet gives you advice about how to gradually return to sporting activity.
The return to play is a step-wise process, and you should only go onto the next step if you have no head injury symptoms. These include: headache, dizziness, memory or concentration problems, tiredness and irritability. The brain needs rest to heal, and persistent symptoms suggest it has not healed sufficiently to progress to the next step.
Each level should take 24 hours, and you should not return to full sporting activity in less than 1 week. If symptoms develop, you should return to the previous level that caused no symptoms.
If you were unconscious or had significant memory loss, you should not return to full contact activity for 3 weeks. This is mandatory for boxing and rugby.
| Level 1 | No activity, complete rest. |
| Level 2 | Light aerobic exercise such as walking or stationary cycling. No resistance training. |
| Level 3 | Sport specific exercise, with progressive addition of light to moderate resistance training. |
| Level 4 | Non-contact training drills, full aerobic activity and resistance training. |
| Level 5 | Full contact training or practice. |
| Level 6 | Return to competition. |
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