In just a few short weeks, hundreds of thousands of young athletes across the country will be gearing up for summer practice. But while they prepare for the gridiron and learn to work together as a team for the upcoming football season, this year, they’ll be learning something new; a safer way to play that may mean fewer concussions.
Concussion Awareness – Are You Receptive or Resistant?
There was a time when bumps to the head got little attention, particularly when they involved young athletes. Parents and coaches alike often considered them par for the course; a temporary condition in which seeing stars would pass with a few sips of water and a brief break from the game. After all, young athletes are incredibly resilient. No blood, no broken bones, no worries. Few understood the drama going on inside the young athlete’s brain or the danger it presented.
That’s changing. Concussion awareness is going global.
Are Concussions the Most Common Sports Injury?
Looking at some of the high profile sporting events recently, there has been the usual array of ankle injuries, muscle cramps, bumps, bruises, and concussions. Concussions? In the case of head injuries to high profile athletes, concussions have increasingly become newsworthy injuries, largely because they have the potential to affect a player’s availability in the playoffs, both in the NBA and the NFL, just to name a few.
Concussion – Now it’s a National Issue
While concussion is in no way a political issue, this week it found its way to the White House. As I write this, President Barack Obama is hosting the White House Healthy Kids and Safe Sports Concussion Summit, packing attendants that include representatives of professional sports organizations, coaches, parents, young athletes and researchers. The goal is to take concussion seriously as a youth health issue, and raise both awareness and funding for education and research.
2014 NBA Playoffs – Keeping Quiet About Concussions
Another day, another concussion headline. This time, the news involved Indiana Pacers forward, Paul George. He suffered a concussion Tuesday, during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. As a physician, the most striking element in this story is the fact that George denied his symptoms during the game and played on; despite having blacked out.
A Five Question Concussion Quiz Every Parent Should Take
For parents, it is critical that they get as much information as possible about what a concussion is, how it is diagnosed and managed, and what to do following head injuries, particularly if their children are involved in sports.
To learn more, I’d like to direct parents to the following: http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2013/Sports-Related-Concussions-in-Youth-Improving-the-Science-Changing-the-Culture.aspx
It’s a simple, five question quiz that provides the correct answers and the results. How well will you do? It doesn’t matter, because you can’t fail. You’ll come away with more knowledge – knowledge that could be life-saving for your child.
Is Soccer Safter to Play than Football?
To varying degrees there are concussions in almost every sport. We’ve just been more focused on football. But as we recognize that this treatable injury occurs commonly, we need to have the same level of vigilance and recognition that is being applied in the football realm.
Helmets – Proof We’re Taking Concussions Seriously
It really strikes a chord with me that concussions are now part of almost every sport. The fact that people are wearing sport-specific protective gear means that there is an increase in awareness of the severity and frequency of head injuries.