The role of occupational therapy in the management of sport-related concussion for children and adolescents: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background More children and adolescents are engaging in contact sport annually resulting in an increased incidence of sport-related concussions. Often, coaches, parents and athletes expect a transition back into an active lifestyle before symptom resolution which creates a dilemma in concussion management. Occupational therapists have a unique competency to facilitate the transition from injury to recovery however, a gap lies in understanding the role of occupational therapy in concussion management. Methodology The research design used was based on the scoping review framework by Arksey and O'Malley (2005) that was further expanded by Levac et al (2010). This scoping review collates findings from existing studies and describes the varying ways in which occupational therapists can assist in managing concussions. The electronic databases searched were PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, OTSeeker and Cochrane Library. Hand-searching was done in the South African Journal of Occupational Therapy and Journal of Concussion. A search of grey literature was also conducted but no other articles were included from this search. The overall articles searched were from January 2010 until August 2022. A total of 12 articles were included. Results and Discussion Occupational therapists can play a role in the rehabilitation of concussions by implementing the three steps in the occupational therapy process. Evaluation of the concussion symptoms, occupational performance, background and concussion history through the use of standardised and non-standardised assessments. Intervention can be provided through energy conservation strategies during cognitive and physical rest, rehabilitation of concussion symptoms and occupational performance, facilitation of education and prevention programmes as well as referrals to other health care professionals. Lastly, the targeted outcomes are mainly the recovery of concussion symptoms as well as engagement in occupations. Conclusion These roles are mentioned in studies that have a global north bias and could present differently in South Africa depending on the financial implications and clinical reasoning therapist. The role of occupational therapy has been proposed in the form of a Concussion Intervention Framework.