Biomechanics: The Role Of Concussions In Sports

A nationwide epidemic is occurring throughout the United States and is on the rise. Although many know about it, they fail to realize the side effects and diseases that can that lay dormant, waiting to be awakened and devastate their lives and potentially end them. Concussions are increasing annually among athletes in contact sports. Children and adults participating in these particular sports are potential victims of concussions and the long lasting side effects. The concerns of athletes receiving concussions is rising because as studies progress, many are leading to the conclusion that concussions impose future health complications.

Athletes from over one-hundred high schools and one-hundred-eighty colleges were studied in order for researchers to investigate the epidemiology of concussions and to compare the rates of concussions among high school and collegiate athletes. Two injury surveillance systems, High School Reporting Information Online (RIO), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance system collected data and this data was analyzed to calculate concussion rates, describe patterns, and evaluate potential risk factors for sports-related concussions. It was then discovered that 8.9 percent of high school athletic injuries and 5.9 percent of collegiate athletic injuries were concussions. Rates of concussions for both collegiate and high

In 2006, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that approximately 1.6 million to 3.8 million sport-related concussions occur each year in the United States (Langois, Rutland-Brown, & Wald, 2006). Sport-related concussions are a subset of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and are defined as a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain (McCrory et al., 2012). The typical signs and symptoms associated with a concussion include confusion, amnesia, headache, dizziness, nausea, loss of balance, and/or poor concentration (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010).

In recent years, there has been a backlash from all kinds of doctors throughout the world that believe the National Football League or NFL needs to make adjustments to the way they treat head injuries, specifically concussions. A concussion is a brain injury characterized by an onset of impairment of cognitive and/or physically functioning and is caused by hits around the head and neck area. This NFL is under destress because of numerous studies that show concussions can lead to a large amount brain injuries way after the player has played his last game. However, this isn't just a problem the NFL is facing, the real problem is our youth contact sports and head-related injuries. High school athletes are extremely more exposed to concussions than

“CDC reports show that the amount of reported concussions has doubled in the last 10 years. The American Academy of Pediatrics has reported that emergency room visits for concussions in kids ages 8 to 13 years old has doubled, and concussions have risen 200 percent among teens ages 14 to 19 in the last decade” (Head Case, 2013). It is reported that between 5-10% of athletes will suffer concussion during any given sports season. Football is the most common sport with concussion risk for males with a 75% chance. It has also been found that 78% of concussions happen during games as opposed to during practices (Science Daily, 2014).

Many private companies and researchers have taken the issue of concussions head on. Research has drastically increased throughout the 21st century. In the words of Mark Lovell PhD. founding director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program, “90% of what we know about concussions we’ve learned in the past five years.” These private researchers have taken different approaches to solving the issue but they are all working to achieve one goal: the reduction of concussions and the prevention of their long-term effects.

For instance, ABC news reported that “concussions may also be associated with an increase in the long-term risk of suicide.” (Hawkins, ABC News, 8 February 2016). And with the increase occurrence in concussion reports in sports especially in the NFL where there is a “58% rise over the 2014 season, the highest number in four years of record keeping.” (Vinton, New York Daily News, 30 January 2015) there is much worry about the injury to the head. Even though we know a good deal about concussions we do not have a sure way to actually heal a concussion which would be helpful for athletes who want to continue playing in their rough sports. We also do not know how much a concussion actually affects the brain in the long term, we recently found that it increase suicide but what about other affects that could be very worrying. This creates controversy in how concussions should be dealt with and how contact sports should be played and regulated. More studies are needed for concussion so that we can actually control the increasing injury that could risk people their lives and their future

Each year approximately about 300,000 sports-related concussions are reported in the United States. The study has found out that an athlete who has suffered 1 concussion are at greater risk of suffering from another concussion. Sport-related concussion is still considered one of the main problem medicine professionals are dealing with. Research has also shown that multiple concussions have had detrimental effects on athletes participating in boxing, men's ice hockey, and men's soccer. Research on multiple concussions has been retrospective, using only posttest designs. Several researchers have suggested that the cumulative effects of repeated concussions can have long-term consequences. Collegiate football players with a history of 3 or more concussions were at 3 times greater risk for suffering another concussion compared with athletes without a history of concussion. Athletes with a history of 3 or more concussions presented more symptoms and poorer memory performance on neurocognitive testing at baseline than athletes with no history of concussion. These findings suggest that a history of concussion may place an athlete at risk for developing long-term sequelae associated with postconcussion

On fall Friday nights everywhere, high schools are buzzing for one thing: football. The players have practiced all week and are excited to get on the field. Students, parents, and fans alike are all counting down the minutes until kickoff. However, in one play all that excitement can be taken away. One helmet-to-helmet hit is sometimes all it takes for a player to sustain a concussion. Concussions happen frequently in football. Many people do not realize the risks associated with this type of injury. High school coaches need to be better trained on how to recognize potential concussions, athletes need to be better educated on concussions, and stricter concussion

Concussions can have severe effects on an athlete. They can lead depression, memory loss, and event death. However, with growing research, it is possible to take preventative measures, identify the likelihood of a concussion and engage in treatment. Undiagnosed concussions can lead to more severe injuries and athletes should be concerned about, aware of them and treat them. With new technology, greater awareness, and growing acceptance that concern should be less on winning a game than preventing and treating a concussion, it is possible that one day, concussions may be a rare thing of the

The ambiguities and the variations in state concussion laws demonstrate a need for a more comprehensive and uniform system to protect student athletes. State laws are often ambiguous as to their scope in whether they apply to only those under the age or eighteen, or in their application to private schools and recreational youth activities. Although most states require an educational component, states vary drastically in who is required to have educational training, who is responsible to for developing it, and who is responsible for ensuring compliance with state requirements. Moreover, the decision on who is responsible for ensuring possible concuss athletes are removed varies by state, with many failing to even identify a person or persona.

As the article points out, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1.5 to 3.8 million sports-related concussions occur each year in the United States, 65 percent of them in children and teens.” Personally, that number was shockingly high to me because most of the concussions I see are in college or professional sports. It makes sense now after reading the article, that children are more at risk because of their fragile and not fully-grown bodies. Players (especially children) should make sure to watch their health and attempt to play as safe as they can in games to avoid damage that can affect them in the future. Doctors should also pull players out when the player takes a hard hit, or a temporary substitution at the very least and make the player sit out for a few minutes to go through some precautionary tests. I think if a player gets hit and requires medical attention the team should pay for the bill because they are a team and they’re meant to look out for each

Concussions are a rising issue in the daily life of many athletes in the sports of hockey, soccer, football, and skateboarding. Every 21 seconds, someone in this country encounters a brain injury. Concussions are brain injuries caused by jolts or hard hits around the head. When the tissue of the brain slams against the strong, thick skull in your head, a concussion is very common. This leads to either swelling of the brain, “torn blood vessels, or injury to the nerves.” (Haas) Eventually, the result will be immediate, delayed, or even permanent loss of your own brain. In the next four paragraphs, I will describe to you how a concussion is important to you and others, what the world can do to stop this issue, and what you can do to prevent

A recent study of college football players has shown that those who participate in high contact sports and have had a concussion before have a 300% higher chance of having another one in comparison to athletes that have never had a concussion before (Jolicoeur et al, 2007). The NFL and NCAA have enacted several rule changes in order to minimize the occurrence of concussions. These new rules, like many before them, have come under the scrutiny of the very athletes that they were meant to protect. The NHL and NHL Players Association in 1997 together created a program in order to get a better understanding of concussions and how to prevent them (Burke et al, 2011). According to Covassin (2008), athletes who have had more than one concussion take a longer time to recover with each concussion that they suffer from.

Concussions are a huge topic in the world of sports in the last couple of years. In fact, the issue concerning concussions and brain damage has become national. With the recent CTE study, and more ongoing concussion issues, parents have debated on taking their kids out of sports younger and younger, which is just not what should be happening. People should be putting their kids in sports when they are young because it helps improve grades, has a lot of health benefits, and confidence.