After an injury

• Do not drive – unless cleared by your doctor
• Make sure that somebody stays with you for the first 24 hours
• Discuss any new symptoms with your medical team. In particular, make a note of any:
  • Headaches
  • Dizziness (note: if this occurs when changing position or at rest)
  • Difficulty falling asleep
  • Fatigue
  • Blurring of vision or hearing loss
  • Incoordination or stumbling
  • Anxiety, low mood or irritability
  • Mental ‘fog’, difficulty concentrating or remembering
  • Slow thinking
• You can eat and drink as normal (but no alcohol) but if you develop nausea and vomiting, let your doctor know at once
• Make sure you rest and get plenty of sleep – in particular avoid social media, gaming and TV between 22:00 – 08:00
• Do not take new medication without discussing it with your doctor. If you are already on medication, check with your doctor
• If you feel worried, anxious or depressed, speak to your doctor or a friend – don’t bottle it up
• Your medical team will advise on what activities are safe and a graduated return to play protocol

Before clinic

• You will have an MRI scan of your brain and cervical spine. If you suffer from claustrophobia, have metal implants or have any metal foreign body, please let the clinic and/or the radiologist know – you may have CT scan instead, if required
• Your club will complete a number of concussion assessments with you, which involve balance, memory and concentration tests

On the day of the clinic

• Make sure that you get plenty of rest the night before
• If using your own transport, let somebody else drive to clinic and back
• We prefer to see you with a member of your medical team but if you will be given the opportunity to speak to the consultant on your own during clinic
• If you think of any questions beforehand, make a list and bring this to clinic
• Wear trainers and sports clothing. You may want to bring a change of clothing, in case you are asked to perform physical exertion tests
• You will be given some questionnaires to complete before you see the specialist. You may also be asked to complete a computerised test in a quiet room
• Your consultation with the specialist will last around 60-90 minutes, including the above tests. If further tests were required (e.g. blood tests, exertion tests or other diagnostic investigation), the consultation could last longer
• You may be approached about research studies on concussion. These are important to help the sport with issues such as diagnosis and return to play but you must not feel in any way obliged to participate and your standard treatment will not be affected by participation in any studies. If approached, the study will be explained to you in detail and you will be asked to give your consent to participate