So why would a practicing physician who does not play pro football care about the latest news regarding concussions and the NFL?

First the headlines. This week, a federal judge approved compensation for thousands of former NFL players for concussion-related claims. In her ruling, the judge stated that while the lawsuit dragged on for years, “retired players’ physical and mental conditions continue to deteriorate.”

The lawsuit involved more than 4,500 former players, some of whom accused the league of fraud for the way it handled concussions. The suit included some big names; former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett, and former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon, who suffers from dementia.

The suit targets those who are 65 and older, and retirees with neurocognitive problems like Lou Gehrig’s disease. There’s also a separate lawsuit pending against the NCAA in Illinois. And there may be more to come.

The upshot of this for me, as a physician? From the top down and across athletic leagues, concussion is increasingly seen as serious when it occurs, damaging in the long term, and potentially devastating to both mental and physical health. Awareness is growing, and that’s the good news. But for me, it can’t grow fast enough.

I commonly treat young athletes who have suffered concussion. As more is learned within the professional athletic community, the more that information makes its way to youth athletic communities, including parents, who should know the following:

Most concussions resolve quickly. But not all of them. Healing in young athletes generally takes longer than it does for adults. Young players who suffer a head injury should see a physician. And just as important, they should be removed from play and practice until the concussion is fully resolved.

That didn’t happen in the NFL. For decades, players suffered head injuries multiple times, they continued to play before the concussion resolved, and many have suffered severe consequences because of this.

At Impact Urgent Care, we recognize the seriousness of head injuries, and we specialize in the diagnosis, treatment and management of concussions. As a physician, I’m here for any young athlete who suffers a head injury. But as part of my own effort to increase awareness, I want to remind parents that we offer neurocognitive baseline testing. It is non-invasive. And in a perfect world, it should be taken by any athlete before there is even the possibility of a head injury. The test provides valuable information that can be extremely useful should a head injury occur.