Tag Archives: concussions

General Safety Issues, Head Protection

MORE SAFETY INFORMATION REGARDING CONCUSSIONS (GUEST POST)

Last December, we featured an article about safety concerns in sports: http://www.blog4safety.com/2013/12/football-isnt-just-fun-and-games/.  In response to that article, we received a very interesting graphic on head injuries involving children through teens.  Because we are all involved in keeping our youngsters and workers safe from traumatic brain injuries, please see the following graph on the various types of injuries, of both girls and boys.  Our thanks to http://www.bostonheadinjurylawyer.com/youth-head-injury-prevention/ for submitting this guest infographic. 

Consider the head injuries that young boys suffer before they start playing football.  We are seeing more and more professional football players claiming dementia and other disorders as the result of repeated hits to their heads.  It is important that young persons play by the rules, and protect their head at all costs.  Training them on how to do this is very important.  Ensure that their schools provide the safest helmets possible.

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection, Head Protection

FOOTBALL ISN’T JUST FUN AND GAMES!

As hundreds of parents and grandparents have done, we have watched our grandson play football since the fourth grade – beginning with flag football.  The love of the game carried him through the rest of his middle school and high school years, finishing this season as a senior.  Fortunately, the only serious injury he received was a concussion in the seventh grade.  From then on, we, as so many others, were concerned that this might happen again.  Thankfully, it didn’t.  He enjoyed the years of playing with his classmates, some of whom had aspirations to play college ball.  High school students may need that scholarship in order to enroll in college and friends and fans alike support them in attaining that goal.  We sometimes don’t realize how many of those youngsters are under pressure to get it. 

College teams earn a lot of money for their schools, through ticket sales and college gear, shirts, etc.  Those whose records make them fortunate to make a bowl game will earn even more money for their school.  There is truly a spirit of comradery between team members, playing for the glory of their school, as well as being noticed by pro scouts.

The main attraction in professional sports is, of course, the huge paycheck that they earn.  It is amazing the amount of money that football, basketball, and other pro atheletes make.  Fans buy their gear and pay large sums of money for tickets to see them play in person.  Advertisements on television also draw attention to their team.  By the way, Texas America Safety has all the great team sports hardhats, for wearing to the games and work, to show your support of your favorite team, either professional or NCAA.

The more serious side of playing football, at all levels, but especially professional, is the risk of injury.  In glancing over the NFL Injury List for Week 17, it is amazing the amount of injured players that are questionable to play this week.  Ranging from eye, jaw, collarbone, shoulder, neck, concussion, and chest injuries, the list continues to include wrist, elbow, back, abdomen, finger, hand,  quadriceps, biceps, groin, hamstring, knee, achilles, thigh, ankle, shin, to toe injuries.  Also on the list were those who were not playing because of illness.  It’s easy to see how busy trainers and physicians are, trying to get their players back on the field.

There are many professional players who are now seeing their young sons wanting to play the game.  One pro was on the news the other day, who said at first, he wasn’t going to let him play; however, because the child wanted to play so badly, he would let him.  There was one catch: he would help coach the team.  He stated that it was very important that young players learn the right way to play, in order to avoid those injuries.  Concussions are being scrutinized more than ever, due to the number of past players who suffered numerous concussions, resulting in brain damage.

Protective gear is so important is all sports: whether it is eye protection. knee pads, or padding and helmets, schools owe it to their students to provide the best possible gear to keep their players safe.

We wish all those college teams and professionals who make the play-offs the best of luck, and injury-free games.  They provide much pleasure for fans who love to see them give it their all.

 

 

 

General Safety Issues, Head Protection

HOW HAS SPORTS SCIENCE AND MEDICINE HELPED ATHLETES IN THEIR GAMES? (GUEST POST)

 By Sharon Freeman.

Sporting Injuries can lead to serious bone and muscle damage that in turn may lead to possibly career ending injuries. Certain sports injuries and treatments are more prevalent among certain types of athletes. Tennis players have “tennis elbow”, baseball pitchers have “tommy john” surgery, football players suffer the gamut, but the most often seen injuries are to the knees and heads.

As recently as a couple of years ago, concussions in any sport ended an athlete’s career, but the injury has received considerable research grants and the results have helped doctors better diagnose the injury and work on a plan of recovery.

Elbow injuries once took pitchers off the mound for good and tennis players had to hang up their rackets. As sports science improves athletes’ mechanics and sports medicine develops better surgeries players can return faster than before and still fighting strong.

What are the most common sports injuries?

Tennis Elbow occurs when the outside of the elbow becomes painful and the joint becomes tender. The doctor will test the patient by asking the patient to grip either his hand or an object. He will note the mechanics of the patients arm as they do this and notice if there is painful reaction. He may have x-rays done to look for deep injury. Usually Medication and PT will help but if they don’t surgery is an option.

How does Tommy John surgery help pitchers? The procedure involved the grafting of a tendon that is harvested from either the same arm or the opposite arm to repair the torn or severely damaged medial tendon on the pitchers arm. The procedure has a very long recovery time, but it does appear to work for most pitchers, thus allowing them to continue their careers.

Head injuries are common injuries in football. The helmets help protect the heads for the most part, but head to head ( helmet to helmet) impacts are still very dangerous. The NFL has recently added to their requirements when a player suffers a concussion that they must have a certain recovery time and receive a full medical release before returning to the game.

Knee injuries involve the ACL and MCL tendons that move and protect the knee affect many athletes in any sport. When those tendons are torn, the recovery processes is long and arduous. Treatment includes medication and PT. If neither works for the patient, then surgery is required. The recovery is often painful and often results in the player never returning to the field of play.

Basketball players run constantly in their game, so their hips, knees and ankles tend to suffer a lot of injuries. They also suffer from injuries similar to tennis elbow due to the repetition of dribbling the ball and shooting baskets. They also tend to suffer from fractures to the face in the heat of the game. One of the most common treatments for facial injuries involved a plastic “cast” worn by the athlete while playing to prevent re-injury.

Sports are exciting to watch and even more exciting to play. The athletes play with full awareness that a severe injury is just one play away. Sports science has helped athletes improve the way they use their bodies, which helps prevent many injuries. Sports medicine has improved with new techniques that have improved the lives of athlete and allowed them to play longer more satisfying careers.  Athletes are now able to recover from even the most drastic injuries with incredibly short recovery times.

Fans can enjoy the success of their favorite players as they watch them perform their skills all thanks to athletes’ grace, scientists’ knowledge and doctors’ skills.

Sharon Freeman is an Australian freelance writer who likes writing about health and injury trends and reviewing or critiquing new medical procedures.

Thank you, Sharon, for this interesting article.  Athletes are fortunate to live in an era where more is known and studied about sports injuries.  For those who enjoy following their particular team in the U.S., Texas America Safety Company features hardhats for NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR, NHL, and other sports thems.  These help companies ensure compliance while at the same time allowing them to show support for their favorite team. pat