Interview with player affected by Concussions

In my latest post, I give you an interview that I had with a player for our team that suffered a concussion. Nick Montisano suffered a serious concussion two years ago, and is still trying to recover from it. During a football game on Junior Varsity, Nick went in for a hit on a player and sadly suffered the concussion. I asked him a few questions.
Me: Did you realize right away that you had a concussion?
Nick: Yes. As soon as I hit the guy I passed out. When I came to, I knew I had another concussion.
Me: How did you feel after you came to?
Nick: Dizzy. I couldn't remember what I had just did and didn't know what was going on. I was in a haze.
Me: Did you realize what caused your concussion?
Nick: Yes. It turned out that my dad was video taping the entire game, and of course caught the play that I got hurt on. I watched it a couple of times, and saw that the side of my head hit the side of the other players head. That's what I have determined to of caused my concussion.
Me: You told me during that season that you had suffered a concussion prior to the one in that game. Do you think that you came back too soon from that concussion or do you think you were okay?
Nick: I think that I was okay to play after the first one, but I defiantly do think having concussions prior to the one that ended my season played a big role in getting another one.
Nick also said that he thinks a player who even thinks he has a concussion should come right out of the game or practice and get checked out. Knowing Nick as a player and friend, he was one of the kids who didn't want to show his pain and did all he could do to stay in the game. It just goes to show how powerful concussions can be and how we need to take broader steps in eliminating them from the game today. Till next time.

What is a Concussion?

In today's post, we answer the real question: What is a Concussion? The most basic definition of a concussion is the most common head injury amongst all athletes. Some common syptoms of a concussion are headache, fatigue, dizziness, and lack of concentration. If you ignore a concussion, then you will suffer serious brain damage and life threatening effects. After you start recovering from the concussion, you are still not out of the water, you can suffer from post concussion syndrome. Post Concussion Syndrome is basically, you are still suffering effects of a concussion after you have so called "healed" from it. Some of the treatments to recover from a concussion are:

• Detailed screening and assessment of concussions and recommendations for proper healing of the injury.
• Treatment follow-up and evaluation, incorporating additional neuropsychological testing as needed. Recommendations may be made for more extensive neuropsychological services or neuroradiologic studies
• Therapies specific to address cognitive deficits.
• Full reporting back to the pediatrician or primary care doctor with an analysis, recommendations for return to play.
• Provide consultative, collaborative approach with all involved including the health care provider, education team and family members insuring each athlete is provided a custom program to meet their needs.               

The most important thing that you need to do when you suffer a concussion is notify your trainer and get the help that you need. Even the slightest symptoms could have major effects on your life if you don't address them. In my opinion it is good for people to not only know what a concussion is, but what they need to do to treat them. Concussions are a very serious injury and we need keep the people informed and aware of them.

http://www.rehab-specialists.com/services-post_concussion.htm

Concussion Watchlist

In our latest article, we take a look back at the 2012 NFL season and count out some of the concussions the players suffered. As head injuries in the game seem to become a normality, some people have started to count them out. The average concussion rate in the NFL a week is nine. Nine concussions in one week! To me, that is an insane amount, and like I've said in my previous articles, we need to limit them. If you visit the link that I have above, it is a truly amazing site. It gives you week by week, team by team analysis of the concussions suffered during the season. For example, if I click on the New England Patriots, I can find out how many concussions they suffered in the season, which player suffered it, and what position he played. It also says that the total amount of concussions suffered this year, was a staggering 170. The team that suffered the most concussions was the Baltimore Ravens, the eventual Superbowl champions. Also if you go into further detail on the site, you can see that the side of the ball that suffered the most concussions on that Ravens team was the defense. So in reading up on this info, I realize more now how serious this injury occurs, and why we need to fix this. Just some evidence on how concussions are affecting the game today. Till next time.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/concussion-watch/

Seau's Sacrafice

 In our latest article, we pin point the topic of Junior Seau's suicide. Many people believe that the well known San Diego Charger and New England Patriot line backer suffered from concussions. The thought of this is not to far off, Seau was known as a fearless tackler that had no regard for his body.The doctor that actually looked at Seau's brain said there was evidence of CTE. Dr. Cantu says that 45% of NFL players suffer from this brain disease that has to do with concussions and head trauma. Cantu says that the only ways to prevent a player from having CTE is to bench the player even if he has just reminents of a prior concussion. Cantu says that they need to be benched and taken away from contact to fully heal. This info took a toll on my thoughts on concussions. It just goes to show that no one is safe, no matter who you are, you are susceptible to concussions. Tyler Seau, Seau's son, has told reporters that he will no longer play football because of what happened to his dad. Obviously this type of injury has effects on everyone. From players to fans, from fathers to sons, people are all now becoming aware of serious this injury can be. It just makes you think how long you have, how at risk are you.
 http://www.lifequalityusa.org/junior-seau/

Funding and Software

In our latest article on Concussion Prevention in football, we go to a town called Lumberton. It lies in the Southeastern part of the U.S. and they are taking the needed steps to protect their players from concussions. The Southeastern Health Foundation has just donated 12,500 dollars towards an new computerized concussion testing program. The program will allow the trainers on the teams in this region to have advanced access to determining if a player has a concussion or not. The system can measure how well the brain is recovering from the concussion and monitor there post-injur condition. With this new program they can prevent the cumulative effects of concussions after the injury. If I was playing in this league, I would feel very safe on the terms of knowing if I had a concussion or not. Having this new system in place gives the players a sense of security knowing that they will be properly evaluated for concussions. This is just one example of the conditions for preventing and detecting concussions are getting better. See you next time.


http://www.robesonian.com/view/full_story/22469227/article-Concussion-software-added-to-county-s-athletic-training-program

The New MIPS Technology

In the latest article that I have read, the NFL has taken steps towards having a new helmet implemented onto the scene. If you aren't familiar with the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, he is a man that is revolutionizing the game. Goodell has taken the most initiative in making our game safer. He is doing everything in his power to help our current players and future players become safer in the game they love. The newest technology is called MIPS. MIPS stands for Multi- Directional Impact Protection System.  It was invented in Sweden in 1997 to try and prevent brain injuries to athletes. Basically the idea behind MIPS is simple: The plastic layer sits snugly on a player’s head beneath the padding. By allowing the head to float during an impact, MIPS can eliminate some of the rotational force before it makes its way to the brain. This new type of technology could revolutionize the game. This would make me feel a lot safer if I was playing the game with this type of technology behind me. MIPS is not the only company taking this idea on. Ridell, the largest helmet distributor along with Xenith, which is the leading concussion prevention type helmet, are both adopting this technology. With these new developments, we hope to see the game change into a more safer and productive environment. Till next time.


http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1452332-could-this-be-the-helmet-that-saves-football

NFL and Concussions

In the latest article regarding the fight against concussions, it talks about what the effects of concussions were. The article is on Web Md.com, which is like the doctors office online. It states that football at all levels are really cracking down on when a player suffers a concussion. Statistics show, that players who suffer multiple concussions are more likely to accrue brain diseases than anyone else. Each level of play, have different levels of precautions taken  to evaluate concussions. The youth leagues and high school teams are taking the most precautions. They know that it could effect the players futures, and aren't taking any chances.At the NFL level, this year they have been taking multiple steps to preventing major concussion issues. The player that even is thought to have a concussion, must come out of the game and go see the team doctor. Then if the player is diagnosed with a concussion, then they have to sit out a week, and then go see a neurosurgeon before returning to the practice field. It has already proven worthy this year, as concussions have been dealt with and players have become more safe. As the game advances, more and more precautions will be taken to protect all players of football. Till next time.





http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/football-player-concussions

Youth Football and Concussions

The article that I read today, it talks about the new precautions that youth football is taking to prevent concussions. They are significantly lowering the amount of contact drills that he coaches are allowed to have at practice. They are doing so by age level. When I played youth football I remember doing head on tackling, and I  hated it. I think that this is a huge step in making the game more enjoyable and safe for the years to come. USA football director says "It's a positive change for all youth sports. There's an increase in knowledge and sophistication in youth leagues addressing player health that you didn't see five years ago. You're seeing youth sports as a whole becoming smarter on this issue." He basically is letting the parents and players know that they are taking steps to protect there children better. Studies at Wake Forrest and Virginia Tech, have shown that youth football players sustain injuries similar to NFL players. The studies have shown that most of the injuries come during practice. So that is another major reason why they are trying to limit the contact allowed for certain age groups. This game will never be fully safe to play, but the steps that we are taking in today's world will make everything better in the years to come. Till next time!



http://www.athleticbusiness.com/articles/article.aspx?articleid=3908&zoneid=10