Dr. Julia (Daly) Hines
PT, DPT, ATC
Physical Therapist/Athletic Trainer
Motorsport Performance Specialty
CONCUSSION RECOVERY
Getting a concussion can be a scary thing. What do my symptoms mean? How do I recover? How do I know when I can return to racing? Julia can help answer all of these questions and guide racers and other athletes to help them get back to participating in their sport safely. Read below to learn more!
In 2016, The International Statement on Concussion Management in Sport by the Concussion in Sport Group, a collection of medical professionals specializing in concussion management, outlined a “return to play” protocol after an athlete sustains a concussion.
These steps are outlined below.
Return to Sport Participation
Symptom-limited activity
1
Light aerobic exercise
2
Sport specific exercise
3
Non-contact training drills
4
Full contact practice
5
However, using this protocol for race car drivers presents a challenge, as “sport specific exercises” are difficult to identify in motorsport. How do you practice racing without driving a race car? Julia has created a motorsport-specific “return to play” protocol based on the physiologic demands and environmental conditions that race car drivers experience. For example, a driver must be able to tolerate increased cardiovascular demands, g-forces, visual flow, heat tolerance, and vibrations without having concussive symptoms before a driver can return to driving a race car.
For Sanctioning Bodies:
Julia wants to help as many racers as possible to ensure safety on the track and improve the health of drivers. Julia believes that improving concussion protocols at the sanctioning body level is one of the best ways to address concussion management in motorsports. Julia is available to help create or improve concussion protocols, including setting up and performing concussion baseline testing. If you are part of a sanctioning body and would like to learn more, please contact Julia.
For Racers:
If you are a racer who has sustained a concussion but is not sure how to proceed after, please contact Julia. She will help you navigate the steps of the return-to-race protocol based on your individual symptoms and racing environment.