A mild traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head, or a hit to the body that makes the head and brain move quickly back and forth. Most concussions happen without being knocked out.
Contact and collision in sport, falls, and accidents. The brain moves inside the skull and its normal working is disrupted for a short time.
An overstretch or small tear of the muscles or tendons in the neck, causing pain and stiffness that can spread to the shoulders and make turning the head uncomfortable.
A sudden jolt, a tackle, a fall, a heavy heading contest, or long periods bent over a phone or desk that leave the neck muscles tired and vulnerable.
A sudden burning or electric pain that shoots down one arm after a hit, often with brief numbness or weakness, caused by the nerves that run from the neck to the arm being stretched or compressed.
A tackle or collision that forces the head one way and the shoulder the other, most often in rugby, American football, wrestling and hockey.
If something hurts, stop. These exercises support recovery and prevention; they do not replace a doctor or physiotherapist.
Any knock followed by headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, feeling dazed, or just "not feeling right" should be treated as a possible concussion, and you should stop and be seen by a health care provider. Go to an emergency department straight away if there is a headache that gets worse, repeated vomiting, one pupil larger than the other, drowsiness or difficulty waking, slurred speech, a seizure, increasing confusion, or any loss of consciousness.
No. If a concussion is suspected, you should not return to play that day, and you should not return to sport at all until a health care provider clears you. A second hit before the first injury has healed is dangerous. Most teenagers feel better within two to four weeks, and most can return to school within one to two days with some support.
Neck pain that is severe, that comes with numbness, tingling or weakness in the arms or legs, that follows a hit where you could not move normally afterwards, or that does not improve within a few days needs a doctor. A stinger that lasts more than a few minutes, affects both arms, or keeps happening also needs to be checked before you play again.
Had a Head/Neck injury? Share it in the Injury Archive, open from 30 October to 30 November 2026.