24/09/2025
🧠Understanding Concussions 🧠
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) caused by a blow, bump, or jolt to the head, or even a hard hit to the body that
shakes the brain.
Symptoms aren’t always immediate and may range from headache and dizziness to confusion and memory issues.
Recognising a concussion early and seeking medical evaluation is key to safe recovery.
Mechanism-based classification of concussions can be broken down into three main types, the first two are applicable to potential
sporting injuries.
1️⃣ Direct Impact Concussion
• Cause: A direct blow to the head (e.g., ball, elbow, fall, collision).
• Mechanism: Force is transmitted straight to the skull and brain at the point of contact.
• Common in: Contact sports (football, hockey, rugby), falls, head-to-head collisions.
• Key Note: Usually localised impact — can cause bruising at the site (coup injury) and/or opposite side (contrecoup injury).
2️⃣ Acceleration–Deceleration Concussion
• Cause: Rapid movement of the head followed by a sudden stop or whiplash.
• Mechanism: Brain “sloshes” inside the skull, stretching nerve fibres and disrupting function.
• Common in: Car accidents, whiplash injuries, high-speed sports crashes.
• Key Note: Can occur without a direct head hit — just from sudden movement forces.
3️⃣ Blast Injury Concussion
• Cause: Exposure to a blast wave (explosions, military combat, industrial accidents).
• Mechanism: Pressure waves affect the brain’s tissues and blood vessels, even without direct head trauma.
• Common in: Military personnel, bomb-related injuries.
• Key Note: Often combined with other injuries (hearing loss, PTSD, burns, fractures).
