Return to Play

Concussions have been a hot topic for the last several years. In May 2009 the Washington State Legislature passed the Zackery Lystedt Law, a law created so that youth athletes are pulled from practice or games if there is any suspected head injury. The WIAA has the following statement under concussion management “a youth athlete which is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in a practice or game shall be removed from competition at that time. A youth athlete who has been removed from play may not return to play until the athlete is evaluated by a licensed health care provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussion and receives written clearance to return to play from that health care provider.”

Sports medicine physicians and athletic trainers are providers who are licensed and expertly trained to guide return to sports after concussion. We use multiple factors to help us decide when an athlete can return to play, including resolution of symptoms, clinical exam, tolerance of return to school, tolerance of return to physical activities, and neurocognitive assessments. No one tool makes the final decision. At MultiCare Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, we have the tools, assessments and the expertise to guide athletes safely through their return to sports.

*Each step requires 24 hours before advancing to the next step, however depending on overall recovery may include increased days at each stage or if symptoms return during a step, returning to previous step when once again symptom free*