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What is a concussion?

A concussion is a brain injury caused by acceleration or deceleration of the brain within the skull 
following a significant impact to the head or elsewhere on the body. The impact causes a biochemical imbalance within the brain cells, resulting in decreased blood flow and temporary energy deficits within the brain. Symptoms may include but are not limited to; loss of consciousness, headache, pressure in the head, neck pain, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, and balance problems.

Concussion in Snowsport 

Snow Australia is committed to protecting the health and safety of everyone that participates in Snowsports. Concussion is common in Snowsport and can be challenging to identify and manage across sporting settings, from recreational environments through to elite teams. We have partnered with Complete Concussion Management Inc. (CCMI), a network of clinics and practitioners around the world offering evidence-based concussion care, to assist in improving the detection and management of concussion in Wintersport.

From initial pre-season baseline testing to concussion identification and management, CCMI practitioners collaborate with all relevant stakeholders (participants, athletes, parents, coaches, program directors and primary care practitioners), helping patients and athletes safely return to learn, work and play. 

Our goal is to provide a user-friendly, world-class concussion identification and management framework for our Snowsport community.

Pre-season Baseline Testing

Comprehensive pre-season testing is a series of physical and cognitive tests that provides a pre-injury overview of healthy brain function. These tests can offer healthcare practitioners with an objective benchmark on which to compare should someone sustain a concussion. It’s important to remember that every person is different, therefore every person will have a different baseline. CCMI has selected the best evidence-based tools available to provide you with comprehensive, multimodal, proven baseline-testing. 

As concussion symptoms often disappear days to weeks before the brain has recovered, having valuable baseline information can assist practitioners to make the most informed return to learn, work and snow decisions. 

Snow Australia strongly encourages pre-season testing for our Snowsports Community. Find a clinic through Complete Concussion Management to locate a recognised concussion healthcare practitioner and determine if pre-season testing is right for you. 

Concussion Tracker App for Clubs

The CCMI Concussion Tracker smartphone app supports safer return-to-sport decisions for young athletes. The app captures and shares an athletes’ concussion status in real time. 

This is a user-friendly method to ‘take stock’ on where anyone in your club is at following a suspected concussion. 

Concussion Tracker enables an athlete’s stakeholders to: 

  • Report and track concussion
  • Conduct sideline assessments
  • Ensure seamless communication 
  • Record athlete’s recovery status and timeline
  • Scan and share medical documents
  • Track daily symptoms for recovery progress
  • Store and view pre-season concussion test results 

Download the Concussion Tracker app for free today on the App Store and Google Play. 

Contact Ben Bond – Performance Health & Talent Manager, to discuss implementing this framework into your Snow Australia Affiliated Pathway Club.

Concussion Sideline Course 

This course is best suited to coaches, trainers, parents and school teachers. It is designed to equip those on the frontlines with a basic understanding of what concussion is, how to recognise them, and how to safely work with health providers to manage a concussed athlete back into the classroom and sporting environment. 

The Snow Australia community have been provided with free access to the course by CCMi (usually $14.99) 

Step 1: Register for a CCMI account via this link
Step 2: Visit Sideline Course via this link 
Step 3: Use code to redeem course training free of charge: snowaus

About Complete Concussion Management Inc.

CCMI is a global concussion research and clinical management network with 450+ clinic locations that provide concussion testing, management, and treatment services across three continents. Through evidence-based training programs and integrated healthcare technologies, CCMI empowers multidisciplinary teams to provide standardised care to those impacted by concussions. CCMI serves to improve the collective understanding of the prevention, management, and prognosis of concussion, while providing accessible, patient-centric care based on the latest scientific and medical research. For more information, visit www.completeconcussions.com.

Snow Australia Concussion Policy

Concussion Guidelines Summary 

Step 1 – Ready
Prepare by wearing a helmet & completing individualised pre-season baseline testing through Complete Concussion Management or a qualified healthcare professional with experience in concussion. 

Step 2 – Recognise
Apply first aid principles, recognise the clinical domains of concussion through the Concussion Recognition Tool 5 (CRT5)  

Step 3 – Remove
Anyone suspected of even a possible concussion must be removed from participation and not return snow/sport on the same day. Remember, if in doubt, sit them out. 

Step 4 – Rest & Recovery
Rest & limit light exercise until all symptoms have resolved, school has resumed, and baseline tests are normal again. This is the perfect time to see your Complete Concussion Management practitioner in conjunction with your Medical Practitioner to determine if concussion is diagnosed. 

Step 5 – Rehab: Return to Exercise & Sport
Following a short period of rest, the International Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport (2016) recommends a gradual increase in mental and physical activity by a licensed healthcare practitioner trained in concussion management. 

**Note: These Guidelines are not intended as a clinical practice or legal standard of care, and should not be interpreted as such. This document is of a general nature, consistent with the reasonable practice of a healthcare professional. Individual treatment will depend on the facts and circumstances specific to each individual case.

Concussion Resources