To raise awareness of concussions and their long-term effects among the athlete community,

sports physical therapists can take several steps. Firstly, they can prioritize concussion
education and encourage an optimal reporting environment. This can involve educating
athletes about the dangers of concussions and the importance of reporting symptoms, as well
as promoting a culture that prioritizes safety over toughness (Register-Mihalik et al., 2013).
Additionally, they can utilize tools such as neuropsychological testing to aid in the
management of concussions (Halstead & Walter, 2010). Furthermore, they can contribute to
the development of concussion management policies in sports by providing input based on
their expertise in physical therapy and knowledge of the devastating long-term effects of
concussions (Kirschen et al., 2014). In the policy-making arena, sports physical therapists
can play a crucial role in advocating for and contributing to the development of policies
aimed at protecting athletes from concussions. They can leverage their expertise to inform the
development of policies that prioritize the safety and well-being of athletes, such as
advocating for the implementation of best practices for the management of youth sports
concussions (Miller et al., 2020). Additionally, they can contribute to the establishment of
guidelines that require athletes to acknowledge receipt of concussion-related information and
their responsibility to report symptoms, as suggested by the National Athletic Trainers'
Association (Baugh et al., 2014). By actively participating in the policy-making process,
sports physical therapists can ensure that the policies put in place are informed by the latest
research and best practices in concussion management, ultimately contributing to the
protection of athletes from the devastating long-term effects of concussions.
References:

Baugh, C., Kroshus, E., Bourlas, A., & Perry, K. (2014). Requiring athletes to acknowledge
receipt of concussion-related information and responsibility to report symptoms: a study of
the prevalence, variation, and possible improvements. The Journal of Law Medicine &
Ethics, 42(3), 297-313. https://doi.org/10.1111/jlme.12147

Halstead, M. and Walter, K. (2010). Sport-related concussion in children and adolescents.

Pediatrics, 126(3), 597-615. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2010-2005

Kirschen, M., Tsou, A., Nelson, S., Russell, J., & Larriviere, D. (2014). Legal and ethical
implications in the evaluation and management of sports-related concussion. Neurology,
83(4), 352-358. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000000613

Miller, G., DePadilla, L., Jones, S., Lionbarger, M., & Thigpen, S. (2020). Prevalence of
concussion-related policies and practices among public school districts in the united states,
2012 and 2016. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 28(1), E194-E197.
https://doi.org/10.1097/phh.0000000000001239

Register-Mihalik, J., Guskiewicz, K., McLeod, T., Linnan, L., Mueller, F., & Marshall, S.
(2013). Knowledge, attitude, and concussion-reporting behaviors among high school athletes:
a preliminary study. Journal of Athletic Training, 48(5), 645-653.
https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-48.3.20