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Panel highlights concussion risk in Whistler sports community

Extended rest isn't best for teenagers with concussion, UBC study finds

A panel on the dangers of concussions is hoping to make an impact tonight with Whistler, B.C.'s active sports community.

The mountain community is well-known for its skiers, snowboarders, climbers and mountain bikers. Panelist Stephen Milstein, a registered psychologist, said people practicing such sports need to be extra careful.

"A concussion is not a mild injury," he said. "Most people up here understand if you tear a ligament [or] if you tear a muscle, you can't go back out. You have to recover and get treatment. People have to understand that a traumatic brain injury is no different than a muscle tear."

A concussion is an impact to the head or brain which can result in a temporary loss of brain function. Those who have had concussions before are often more susceptible to getting another one.

Those who practice extreme sports or push themselves to the limit are particularly vulnerable, Milstein said.

One of the biggest dangers, Milstein explained, is when people resume an activity too soon after the injury.

"If you shake the skull some more, you are going to decrease the probability of a successful recovery," he said.

"If you have a bad fall, if you have any other symptoms, immediately go see a family physician or a physio."

Milstein says helmets are not a safeguard from concussions. Although they might protect from a skull fracture, he said, they might not protect from a concussion. All it takes to get a concussion is your head or brain getting badly shaken, he added.

"Your brain is sitting in a fluid in your skull and it gets rattled around. If it hits the inside of your skull, particularly the bony portion in the front, you're going to do damage."

The free brain injury panel discussion takes place at the Myrtle Philip Community School in Whistler at 7 p.m. PT tonight.

With files from The Early Edition

To listen to the interview, click on the link labelled Whistler hosting a concussion awareness panel