Concussions in Professional Sports

Jacob Stiles

Intro

• What is a concussion?• Concussions by the numbers• Concussions in sports• Short and long term side effects • Prevention

What is a Concussion

• A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury “TBI”, it can be caused either by a direct blow to the head, or an indirect blow to the body.

• They are common in contact sports with the highest risk found in those athletes who participate in football.

(Awan, 2011)• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFkWTGKNLT8

Concussion: By the Numbers

• 1.6 million to 3.8 million concussions occur each year.• Soccer is the most common sport with concussion

risk for females.• Football is the most common sport with concussion

risk for males. • A professional football player will receive an

estimated 900 to 1500 blows to the head during a season.

(Strickland, 2011)

Concussions in Sports• Football• Boxing• Ice hockey • Wrestling • Gymnastics • Lacrosse • Soccer • Basketball

(Awan, 2011)

Short Term Effects

• Short term effects can last for a few hours to a few weeks.

• Some physical pains can be, headaches, nausea or vomiting, blurred vision, and lightheadedness.

• Some short term emotional changes can be depression, mood swings, frustration, and fear of future harm.

(Bisnar & Chase, 2012)

Long Term Effects • These symptoms can last a few months to many years. • Some symptoms are long term memory loss, depression, slow movements, and

increased possibility of suicide attempts. • Junior Seau had many concussions while playing in the NFL. How many

concussions? • Junior Seau’s many concussions resulted in pressure which led to his eventual

suicide on May 2, 2012.(Bisnar & Chase, 2012)

Prevention

• Learning proper playing techniques that emphasize "keeping the head out of the game" is the best defense for prevention.

• Wear appropriate protective gear during sports and other recreational activities.

• Educate athletes and other parents or coaches about concussions.

• Monitor the health of the athletes.• (Albohm, 2011)

Conclusion

Given the serious nature of a concussion, the growing numbers of cases in sports, and the side effects, the sporting industry needs to reduce the number of concussions that occur during a sporting events.

References Used

• CDC - Sports - Concussion - Traumatic Brain Injury - Injury Center. (n.d.). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/sports/index.html

• Concussion Facts | Sports Concussion Institute. (n.d.). Sports Concussion Institute | Excellence in Concussion Management & Treatment. Retrieved from http://www.concussiontreatment.com/concussionfacts.html

• Google Image Result for http://media.philly.com/images/050312-junior-seau-4001.jpg. (n.d.). Google. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/imgres?q=junior+seau+with+hat+on&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&biw=803&bih=741&tbm=isch&tbnid=Pi_0bNtd2rnKpM:&imgrefurl=http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq-eagles%3Fmain%3D%26cat%3D%26month%3D%26year%3D%26page%3D32&docid=ulzBVS3WCntdpM&imgurl=http://media.philly.com/images/050312-junior-seau-4001.jpg&w=400&h=300&ei=n5lzUJWWMofx0gGj-4D4Aw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=256&vpy=419&dur=1425&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=175&ty=142&sig=116713643943812787566&page=1&tbnh=120&tbnw=157&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0,i:112

• Head Injuries News - The New York Times. (n.d.). Times Topics - The New York Times. Retrieved from http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/f/football/head_injuries/index.html

• Living Without Limitations: Sports Related Concussions?What You Need to Know. (n.d.). Living Without Limitations. Retrieved from http://livingwithoutlimitations.blogspot.com/2011/06/sports-related-concussionswhat-you-need.html

• Short and Long Term Effects of Concussions - California Personal Injury Attorneys - Orange County & Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyers. (n.d.). Personal Injury Lawyers | Car Accident Lawyer California | Car Accident Attorneys California | Car Accident Attorneys Newport Beach. Retrieved from http://www.bestattorney.com/short-long-term-effects-of-concussions.html

• Sport Science: NFL Concussions and helmet to hemet collisions. (n.d.). YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFkWTGKNLT8

• Prevention. (n.d.). SportsConcussions.org | Concussion Testing Made Simple. Retrieved from http://www.sportsconcussions.org/ibaseline/education/prevention.html