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Brain Injuries in Football

MrTitleist

Administrator
Staff member
This article was sent to me from CareMeridian, a facility in Las Vegas (and other parts of the Western US) that focuses on sports concussions and brain injuries in contact sports such as football. Interesting article, more of an FYI for you all if you care to browse it.


Mild TBI and Sports Related Injuries

Athletics are a fun and healthy way to stay active that millions of people take part in each day. However, some of these activities can take a toll on the physical body of the individual. Contact sports like football, boxing, soccer, and hockey can cause damage that can change a person’s entire life and sometimes can even be irreversible. An example of this type of sports injury is traumatic brain injuries. A TBI can permanently alter someone’s life and can even require long-term rehabilitation and care from special facilities like CareMeridian Las Vegas Nursing Home and these injuries are often too common when taking part in sports.

According to the Brain Injury Resource Center, an estimated 300,000 sports related brain injuries occur each year. Most of these injuries are not classified as severe. Many of these mild TBI’s or concussions may appear unthreatening, but in fact they can often cause significant damage if not treated properly. The hidden danger of a concussion comes from the fact that it is usually passed off as nothing more than pain and soreness inflicted from the sporting activity, which is why they can easily be a repeatable injury. Consequently, concussions are often regarded as very hazardous and should be given thorough and constant attention.

Concussions are head injuries that are caused by blows to the head that usually cause the brain to move violently within the skull. For a sport like football this type of injury is common and unfortunately, at times ignored. Many athletes shake off the pain that’s caused from the head injury, because the immediate effects are often unnoticed. Yet, without treatment, a simple injury can cause a lifetime of suffering. The NFL has a concussion rate of 61% and this type of injury not only sidelines the player impacted, but can end their career. Some NFL players, like quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Steve Young, retired from the game rather than take on the risk that comes from the injury, but others are not so lucky. Many retired football players and athletes battle memory loss and constant migraine headaches that result from head injuries.

Participating in athletic competition (football, soccer, basketball, etc…) is inherent in many different peoples’ lifestyles, but comes with risk of injury. Mild TBI is among the most common forms of sports related injuries, which also include fractures, tears, bursitis, sprains and more. As an enjoyable means of human interaction and competitive lift, sports will always be an integral ingredient of modern day society. Ultimately, it’s important to be aware of mild traumatic brain injuries (symptoms, treatment, etc…) and the frequency of occurrence on the field of play.
 
Just being a kicker I have had 3 concussions but everyone of them was worth it to me. I refused to be that kicker who would shy away from blockers or not go after the ball carrier on a return. There are some in the NFL that disgust me in their ability to make a tackle.

I think the most important thing is to teach proper tackling at the lowest levels. I coach a youth football team here in Laramie and If see any of my kids lowering their head to tackle I will pull them from the game. Period.
 
Concussions really scare me in all sports. One of my all-time favorite hockey players, Adam Deadmarsh, was forced to retire because of several of them. He couldn't even deal with daylight for almost a full year after retirement, and it took him forever before most of the symptoms went away.
I'm glad he's now back to hockey, helping to coach the Colorado Avalanche, and making sure that whenever anybody gets concussed (which has happened to several players this season), they don't return until they're COMPLETELY symptom-free, something which is often not the case in any pro sports.

I'm really disgusted every time I see a coach making/letting a player get back on the field/court/ice when it's clear they've suffered a concussion. Another blow to the head at that time could LITERALLY kill them.
 
You touch on a good point Asmo. It's not really the initial concussion that is the problem it's when a player goes back in after one. That's when it becomes dangerous and could have a life threatening consequences because of the brain being swollen.

Some of the new helmet technology is really incredible and I hope to see the NFL let these guys still hit. It will soon become impossible to hit another player without getting flagged. I think it's less about the initial hit and more about not letting a player return after concussion symptoms.
 

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