The Concussion Epidemic
Chris Gero
Audience: 9-12 Grades
What is a Concussion?
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Traumatic brain injury
Causes brain to move inside skull
Caused by hit to the head
Can also occur from fall or body blow
Common Causes of Concussions
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Falls
Biking accidents
Car accidents
Fights
Sports: Football, Boxing, Hockey,
Snowboarding, Skiing, & Soccer have the most
occurrences.
Signs Observed
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Appears dazed
Confused about position
Moves clumsily
Loses consciousness
Can’t recall events before or after hit
I don’t feel so good,
but I’m sure it’s
nothing..put me in
coach!
Fear Factors
• Even more dangerous than the signs observed
from a concussion are the ones not observed
• Often concussions occur along with other
scrapes & bruises, and can be predicted then
tested for
• However, sometimes they are very hard to
catch, especially right away
Symptoms Reported
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Headache
Nausea or vomiting
Sensitivity to light/noise
Dizziness
Blurry vision
People who obtain mild
concussion will usually only
deal with headaches, some
dizziness and/or nausea
Can last only hours,
or days
Everybody & every
concussion is different!
More severely concussed can
suffer from intense physical,
emotional, & mental symptoms
Can last up to
weeks, or months
Concussions in Sports
Concussions in Sports
• Within the last decade or so concussions have
become a huge problem in athletics
• Although it is improving everyday, the process
of testing, diagnosing, and treating is not
nearly perfect
• Unfortunately the injury had to be brought up
negatively in order for people to realize that
this process needed more attention
Concussions in Sports cntd.
• Two of the sports that have been “hit the
hardest” with the concussion epidemic are
football, and hockey
• On all levels of these sports extreme
precautions are being taken in prevention and
treatment of these injuries
• There are many new requirements for players,
coaches, and trainers to abide by
Concussions in the NHL
Concussions in the NHL
• Everyone knows that hockey is a high contact
sport
• Although players are padded they are also still
very exposed
• Helmets are helpful but cannot keep players
heads safe from the enormous blows that
they risk suffering from
Sidney Crosby
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC2oQ0w
xCKE&feature=email
• Sidney Crosby plays for the Pittsburgh
Penguins in the NHL
• In the annual Winter Classic game of the
2010-2011 season he suffered a severe
concussion from an intense blindside helmet
to helmet hit
Sidney Crosby
• After being briefly checked out immediately
after the hit at the Winter Classic game on
January 1st 2011, Crosby resumed play
• In another game on January 5th Crosby was hit
again and driven head first into the boards
• Finally after this hit he was sat, for what
started as one week, for a concussion
Sidney Crosby cntd.
• After multiple attempts at a comeback ranging from
light off-ice workouts and slow returns to a few
games worth of full contact participation over many
months, Sidney Crosby remains out of play to this
day, over a year later.
• This is only one example of a case where an athlete
was ill advised to shrug off a possible concussion,
which almost directly led to much more severe
damage.
• Who was once easily one of the best hockey players
in the NHL is not sure when he’ll be able to play
again.
New Concussion Protocol
ALERT!
• The NHL installed a new concussion protocol
on March 16th, 2011
• One requirement of this protocol is that
players suspected of having a concussion will
be immediately removed from the ice to a
quiet training room, where they will be
further evaluated.
• In the past trainers would evaluate for
possible concussion on the teams’ bench.
New Concussion Protocol cntd.
• Although this is a good change it is just a very
slight start
• It is well known that concussion symptoms do
not always show up right away
• Sometimes they show up within 15 minutes,
other times they don’t for days later
• Though it’s not fool proof it is a good step in
the right direction
Jahvid Best
• Jahvid Best plays for the Detroit Lions in the
NFL
• In week 5 of the 2011 football season Best
suffered a concussion, which would be his
second in only 2 months.
• Best season was ended, and his return in the
2012 season is still questionable.
Jahvid Best
Head to head contact!!
New Measures
• As previously stated, there are still huge steps
to be taken to tackle the concussion epidemic,
but some pretty drastic measures have been
taken so far.
• Many trainers at college & professional levels
are now required to take courses specializing
in identification & treatment of concussions
New Measures
• There are also many more programs now to
help properly treat athletes who have suffered
head blows and get them back to playing
safely (physical testing, and computer testing,
even Wii has a program for concussion testing
now)
New Measures
• Another huge factor in the care of concussed
athletes, are the athletes themselves
• Many professional athletes are starting to make clear
how important it is to monitor and care for
concussed athletes
• This is helpful on many levels:
-It is helpful to medical personnel if athletes also
want to take care of themselves
-Professional athletes advocating for proper
concussion care leads to younger athletes being
more aware and cautious
• http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=556289
• http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/7459581/sidney-crosby-concussion
• http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2011-10-20/lions-jahvid-bestreportedly-told-to-end-season-because-of-concussions
• http://www.sportsconcussions.org/ibaseline/component/content/article?i
d=126
• www.themessierproject.com
• http://www.sportsconcussions.org/ibaseline/