Concussions in Sports

Steven Hutchison

Introduction

What is a Concussion? A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) which causes bruising or swelling of the brain due to a forceful impact of some kind.

The more technical definition of a concussion is that it is a pathopysiological disruption of the brain.

SymptomsHeadaches, grogginess, impaired consciousness, memory loss, mood changes, delayed reaction times and also sleeplessness.

ResearchThe National Football League (NFL) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are two examples of massive organizations that are spending time and money to fully research the short and long term effects that concussions can have on athletes.

ResearchRule Change (NCAA) “No player shall target and initiate contact against an opponent with the crown of his helmet.” • This specific rule is referring to American Football,

and was found in the article, Advancements in Concussion Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Equipment Changes

Some equipment changes in sports are becoming much more apparent with the likes of some soccer players wearing helmets and face masks, as well as American football players wearing a new style helmet which includes foam padding in and around the whole helmet

Equipment Changes

New Football Helmets- According to the article

Advancements in Concussion Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment, “since production began with the new style helmet, there has been a ten percent decrease in the amount of concussions received by the American football athletes each year.”

Concussions Within Sports

A regular Concussion usually takes 7-10 days to heal but it is often longer for athletes as they require much rest for recovery

With regards to sport it is said that a concussion must be “managed in a multidisciplinary manner by healthcare providers with experience in sports related concussion” (Advancements in Concussion Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment).

Treatment for Concussions

It is now an NCAA rule that all athletes must take the computer-based assessment before taking part in their sports season. The main reason for this is that it gives athletic trainers a “baseline” to go off of when someone actually gets a concussion.

After around 7-10 days post concussion, the athlete will take the test again to figure out how far away he/she is from the level they achieved before the concussion. If they have similar scores this is often taken as a sign that the injured athlete is ready to begin competing again.

Most importantly- REST!!!

ConclusionAthletes, coaches, athletic trainers and sporting organizations all must be extremely wary of the damage concussions can do to athletes within sports. The most important thing for these people to do is to research and find out what they need to know in order to keep their athletes fit and healthy physically and mentally.

The fact of the matter is that if the athlete, trainer or coach does not acknowledge concussions quick enough, they can lead to athletes living a shorter or lesser quality of life.

Works CitedAdvancements in Concussion Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment. (2014). Sport Journal, 1.Article- Advancements in Concussion Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Advancements in Concussion Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment. (2014). Sport Journal, 1.Article- Computer-Based Assessment of Sports-Related Concussion.

By, R. F. (1998, Aug 12). LaFontaine leaves hockey reluctantly. New York Times (1923-Current File) Retrieved fromhttp://search.proquest.com/docview/110025378?accountid=12104Arti

le- The difficult concussion patient: what is the best approach to investigation and management of persistent (>10 days) postconcussive symptoms?

Schatz, P., & Zillmer, E. A. (2003). Computer-Based Assessment of Sports-Related Concussion. Applied Neuropsychology, 10(1), 42-47.