The Concussion Epidemic Chris Gero Audience: 9-12 Grades

What is a Concussion? 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 Falls Biking accidents Car accidents Fights Sports: Football, Boxing, Hockey, Snowboarding, Skiing, & Soccer have the most occurrences.

Signs Observed Appears dazed Confused about position Moves clumsily Loses consciousness Can’t recall events before or after hit

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 I don’t feel so good, but I’m sure it’s nothing..put me in coach!

Symptoms Reported Headache Nausea or vomiting Sensitivity to light/noise Dizziness Blurry vision

Can last only hours, or days Can last up to weeks, or months People who obtain mild concussion will usually only deal with headaches, some dizziness and/or nausea More severely concussed can suffer from intense physical, emotional, & mental symptoms Everybody & every concussion is different!

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

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 xCKE&feature= xCKE&feature= Sidney Crosby plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL In the annual Winter Classic game of the 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 1 st 2011, Crosby resumed play In another game on January 5 th 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 The NHL installed a new concussion protocol on March 16 th, 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. ALERT!

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

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