LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The new school year begins for student-athletes, and that also means returning to their respective sports.
This year, new concussion management protocols are being implemented across the state to ensure the health and safety of student-athletes.
As a mother, I wanted to learn more about whether this affects not only my child, but also students across the valley.
What exactly is changing?
In the past, student athletes with head injuries could not play again until they had received permission from a doctor.
This year, student-athletes must go through three steps before they get the green light to play again.
Step 1. The student-athlete must be evaluated by a licensed healthcare provider (MD, DO (doctor of osteopathy), PA (physician assistant), or NP (nurse practitioner)) and cleared to participate in the Return to Play protocol.
Step 2. The student-athlete must complete and pass a standardized concussion test (C3 Logix) administered by the athletic trainer.
Step 3. The student-athlete must complete a six-step exercise program under the direct supervision of the high school’s licensed athletic trainer. The exercise program includes symptom-limited activities, light aerobic exercise, sport-specific exercise, full non-contact training, full contact training, and return to normal play.
Any worsening of symptoms prevents the student-athlete from moving on to the next phase.
You can read the Clark County School District’s concussion policy here.
Why are the protocols changing?
During the 2023 legislative session, Nevada state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 80, which calls for stricter concussion protocols.
You can read the full bill below.
Senate Bill 80 by jarah.wright on Scribd
Why is this important?
As a mother of a student athlete, I know how important it is to take care of our children’s health.
I reached out to Dr. Ephraim Makuve of Hutano Physical Therapy and he said that one reason the legislation is necessary is because there has been a history of misdiagnosis of concussions.
“The main reason we really want to care about this and get it under control is for the long-term health of students in terms of everything else they do in life,” Makuve told me. “It’s a health issue, but even more so something that can affect students long after they graduate from high school, and we want to make sure we catch it early enough.”
Makuve also said that implementing the new protocol will give student-athletes more time to recover before returning to the Games.
“If the brain was a muscle, they would go back to class to exercise that muscle before it’s fully healed. That’s why the CDC specifically said we should have an initial period where students can just rest and do nothing,” Makuve said. “With student-athletes, there are always competing interests. There are people who want to see their team win. There are parents who want to see their kids on the field. And then, of course, their doctors who want to see their patients fully healed. It’s about balancing all of that to make sure that that athlete is a student first and then athleticism comes first.”
WEB EXTRA: Watch the in-depth interview with Tricia Kean and Dr. Makuve
Doctor explains why new concussion protocols are so important
