Head Injury In Sports

On opening day, a lot of people watched the movie "Concussion," and it changed the way they saw the football forever. The way that concussions have been viewed by fans in the past was that it was not a big deal. With the release of this movie, people may soon adopt a more conservative approach to management with how medical professionals manage players who suffered a brain injury. That might sound like a bad thing, but extra caution could help to save players and their families a lot of heartache down the road.

A concussion is an injury suffered in the brain of an individual that can affect and alter a person’s ability to perform not only mentally, but physically as well. The New York Daily News reported on one of the finest cases of how serious the NFL is taking the issue on concussions, the current lawsuit that reached a “$765 million settlement reached between the two sides, 18,000 concussion suffer and the NFL” which states causes for important untold information the NFL refused to report to players about the prospective dangers concussions had for their long-term health, though this was later shot down by a federal judge claiming that it was insufficient sum. An NFL player may succumb from thousands of hits to the head playing football all

An increasingly popular topic in the realm of sports fans has begun to unravel. The National Football League recently has begun to introduce new rules and regulations for their athletes to start abiding by to ensure the continued safety of the player’s health. Although most find this change in the game of professional football as a positive step forward, others see this as a diminishment of the sanctity of NFL football. New rules and regulations that have been introduced into NFL are vital to athletes involved in the sport and help them to play with lowered risks of long term injuries that could possibly affect not only them but also the league in the future as well. The reasons for these

Repeated concussions from any trauma can cause permanent brain damage. Because of this I believe athletes should be forced to sit out longer and be examined more throughly before being cleared to return to play. Some players do not sit out long enough for their brains to fully heal, and they are left vulnerable as they return to play. If an athlete isn't properly treated it can have long term effects on their brain, or it could even result in losing simple cognitive skills such as attention and judgement. I think we should have more protection against concussions, and more protocol to protect the players at risk. Even if an athlete has to sit out one more game, or the rest of their career, it is better than the potential brain damage for the

Despite increasing awareness of sports related head injury, controversy and confusion persist, especially in regards to concussions. Prior to the introduction of CAT Scan technology, concussions were often misdiagnosed and overlooked. However, this technology has not yet met its full potential in terms of identifying and treating concussions in the early stages. This can likely be attributed to the stigma surrounding concussions, deeming it an injury that is not serious as the injury is internal or “hidden”. As a result, athletes are more reluctant to report head injuries. Sports related head impacts can cause changes in the brain even when there are no outward signs of a concussion. Untreated, this “hidden injury” can lead to changes in brain

Most sports-related head injuries, such as concussions which is temporarily interference with the way the brain works are mild and allow for complete recovery. However, concussion in children can pose serious health. Therefore, as an MA I would explain a pediatric patient with a potential concussion during their visit, if there is any activity they could perform or not, and how long it will take time to heal their concussion. In addition, as the MA I will explain the risk concussion, and it symptoms.

I've never really been big on watching NFL but now knowing how they handle head traumas makes me not want to support it at all. It’s crazy to me how professional medical people can just ignore true scientific findings like that. Several more athletes after Mike webster suffered head injuries from getting their “bell rung” but nothing was really done about it after they were hit and knocked out they returned to the game after feeling a little better and waking up. Someone's health is way more important than success in a game.

Other times when sitting to watch a sports game, the last thought that crosses through the mind is whether a player will be injured or will have consequences later in life. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is gaining awareness because of current uprise in athletes developing it at a very young age such as Lou Gehrig a famous baseball player. This disease affects the body by causing loss in muscle movement. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a disease affects the mind not the body and is a progressive degenerative disease. CTE has many diseases that fall under its category such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s, Huntington's disease and Dementia. The most common factors for these diseases are concussions and head trauma because athletes

Studies show, by law a player must sign off by a medical professional before the player can return to the field. Studies also show, concussions and or head head injuries are linked to permanent brain damage. The question frequently asked is "should injured athletes be required to sit out for periods of time to allow time for the brain to heal completely?" As an athlete, I think athletes should wait. Only because if a player gets one concussion and goes back to their sports and gets hit in the head, that could lead to permanent damage for not giving the brain time to heal from the previous injury.

“To offer the best care possible, many health-care and sports programs now offer baseline testing to their athletes at the beginning of each season. This ensures there is data on hand that can be used by their doctor to assess their recovery if they experience a concussion” (Rumney and University of Toronto). Players or athletes get this taken care of as a back-up information if they experience or receive a concussion. Concussions in other yet similar contact-sport associations have been on the rise and professional sports are aware of the danger of getting a concussion. “Concussion incidents have been on the rise in recent years and professional sports are now taking a more serious approach to head injuries. Players in the NRL(National Rugby League), Super Rugby and AFL are sent for a head injury assessment if they appear to be concussed and they are not allowed to return to the field if it is deemed they suffered any degree of concussion” (Dutton). Players who are suffering from a concussion will stay out the game for safety

Statistics show NFL players are paid $1.9 million a year on average. An injury as severe and time-consuming as a concussion can undoubtedly counteract this kind of pay. Professional athletes do not want to jeopardize sitting out a game and missing their opportunity, “‘[t]he return to play decision is based on symptoms, and the problem is the players all want to get back yesterday and the question is whether they are being truthful and honest’ during their evaluations, Stieg said” (Futterman). There is nothing doctors or trainers can do if the athlete lies about being symptom free. They can suspect the severity of the concussion by just observing the athlete’s behavioral response toward certain things, like light or noise.

Head injuries, including concussions, particularly in the game of American football, have become a subject of deep concern, much study and even Congressional hearings in the United States.

Statistics state that it’s a 47 percentage of high school football players receiving a serious head injury. The article High School Struggle to Tackle Safety on the Football Field by Kendrick Calkins caught my attention. The article started out as an assignment but ended up being something I was very interested in learning more about. Three questions popped in my head the moment t I read this particular article; what happens to the boys who end up having a head injury? Why does it happen? And how does the family feel?

Many people that play sports get into some type of injury, the majority of injuries sustained in sports are usually head related. Football has about 118,886 injuries, basketball with 119,589 injuries, and rugby with 1,214 injuries between the years of 2002-20014 and has continued to skyrocket. There are difference between head injuries in football than when playing other sports. These differences can be from minor, moderate, to sever. Football is more on the sever side because of the impact and number of hits they are taking. On the other hand sports like basketball, soccer, and tennis are not as of aggressive as football. And this is due to the lack of contact in the sports. These sports are very strict about the contact when playing in a game, they are charged with a penalty or flagged if a player makes the slightest contact with another player. Therefore you would rarely see a head injury let alone a sever head injury when playing those kind of sports. With football being more aggressive and more contact, the head injuries can lead to a player being hospitalized, and depending on the impact on the blow can lead to death.

One reason for why athletes should sit out for longer periods of time, due to brain injury, is because non-notable side affects from a mere concussion could be something more. According to article 3; "A concussion can be difficult to diagnose, and failing to recognize the signs and symptoms in a timely fashion can have dire consequences". Meaning the if you can't see the symptoms of the athlete and have them return to play prematurely, and get injured again, the player could suffer major alterations in there mental statues.