Sports Concussions by Jose Marquez

Envision dropping off your child to play his favorite sport or pastime. Moments later, a call is received advising that he or she is being transported to the local hospital after being hit in the head with the ball, causing a possible concussion. For instance, concussions can have long-term effects, therefore they need to be treated as soon as possible. Despite the fact if it is serious or not and regardless if it’s the first or fourth concussion a person develops. Concussions happen too often while playing sports, especially when it involves contact sports such as baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse, and soccer. However, not everyone is aware of the damage concussions can cause in the long run. For example, the brain is an important and valuable organ, and it’s an organ needed to keep us alive and to move. Therefore, hard hits and injuries to the head area need to be taken seriously and treated properly to avoid side effects in the future. Furthermore, not all concussions are diagnosed immediately because not everyone develops the symptoms subsequently after the hit (“Concussion and Sports” 1). Coaches, parents, and athletic trainers need to be well educated and trained to prevent sports concussions. It is very important for all coaches and athletic training staff to have a well-rounded knowledge of the symptoms relating to concussions, in order to be able to treat them as soon as possible, and avoid further brain injuries.

History

In 1894, William Harvey, a former Penn State Football player, said the first concussion he received was in 1883 against Harvard (Harrison 1). Sports concussions became a prominent health problem in the early 21^st century. For example, football was one of the leading sports that contributed to concussion-related injuries (1). This era was also known as “The Concussion Crisis” (1). In addition, during this era, more concussions occurred within the sport, than any other active ongoing contact sport. Furthermore, several of the players that left the game for various reasons, were being diagnosed with health issues related to the concussions, or traumatic brain injuries, received while playing football. However, the football organizations were more focused on visible injuries rather than the concussions due to the fact a person cannot see a brain injury. As years went by and technology became more accessible and advanced in sports, equipment began to change. For instance, football organizations updated the players’ helmets to prevent severe head trauma, such as concussions in the early 21^st (1). This concussion crisis elevated a big concern in the football community. Platers were receiving head impacts and causing players to suffer from concussions. Organizations begin changing a few of the rules that are currently in place to prevent and protect the players (1). The NFL made illegal to make head to head contact when attempting to tackle a player. After much negotiation, the football community is now seeing settlements negotiated and professionals continuously working on finding solutions on how to prevent concussions from occurring. For example, considering football is not just being played at a professional level, but also by youth, middle school, and high school aged individuals. Therefore, it is very important that coaches in our educational systems are also well trained and prepared to treat and prevent sport concussions and brain injuries. The more knowledgeable coaches and athletic trainers have, the less likely of a possibility there could be, of our kids suffering from CTE or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.

            Every year, in the United States, approximately thirty-eight million young men and women, and even several children participate in an organized sport (Daneshvar, Nowinski, McKee, & Cantu 1). Unfortunately, 1.7 million people, including adults, are affected by a traumatic brain injury, also known as a TBI (1). Each year, an estimated cost of $60 billion is disbursed between emergency room visits and extended hospitalizations due to sports concussion-related injuries (1).  In addition, concussions became a more prevalent issue due to the fact many coaches, athletic trainers and other sports medicine professionals were not correctly assessing and managing treatments properly. Furthermore, many resources, such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), educated high school coaches and other professionals to help prevent concussions in our youth and adolescents (1).

Social Effects

Head injuries affect our communities more than we care to consider at many given times. For instance, sport concussions can cause minor injuries such as headaches, blurred vision, short term memory loss, and loss of balance (Concussions 1). Research has shown, head trauma can have small or short-term effects, yet it can also result in long term effects. For example, long term symptoms, of trauma to the head, usually are not present at the time of the incident. Most long-term effects are diagnosed hours or days after the traumatic injury (1). Therefore, long term injuries need to be taken with high precaution and diagnosed as soon as possible. A few of the long-term effects are: disorder of smell and taste, sleep disturbances, and trouble concentrating (1).  Leagues in small towns have also been affected greatly by the plague of traumatic brain injuries and its unwavering penalties. Over the years, small town little leagues have to make sure all coaches and staff take precautionary actions when children begin to display signs of concussion type symptoms. In addition, coaches have to make sure every player has the correct equipment, most notable the proper headgear to prevent concussions.

Examples of the Epidemic

In 2002, Dr. Bennet Omalu conducted an autopsy on a legendary football player that played with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a center (Breslow 1). This legendary player was Mike Webster, also known as “Iron Mike” who played football from 1974 to 1990. Mike Webster died at the age of 50, but Dr. Omalu believed he looked a lot older. (1). Webster died at a Pittsburg hospital after suffering a heart attack.  As a neuropathologist, Dr. Omalu focused more on Mr. Webster’s brain where he made a surprising discovery (1). Dr. Omalu diagnosed Mr. Webster with a disease that has not been diagnosed within football players (1). The condition is chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, the first hard evidence that playing football and receiving head trauma can lead to permanent brain damage (1).  Mike was the first football player diagnosed with CTE (1). Dr. Omalu believed that Mr. Webster’s brain had severely damaged slides for a fifty-year-old man (1). Playing football for a little over a decade and a half, caused Mr. Webster’s brain a significant amount of impairment. Furthermore, after his retirement, he was diagnosed with amnesia, dementia, and depression. These are all common symptoms of long-term injuries due to concussions. Currently, it is unknown if the equipment used nowadays would have prevented Mike Webster from suffering the way he did.

            Ken Stabler was a professional football player that was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in the Class of 2016 (Bush 1). Ken was also known as the “Snake” in the football community (1). Ken played professional football from 1968 to 1984 as a quarterback for various teams (1). Ken begin his football career at the University of Alabama before being drafted in the second round by the Oakland Raiders. He had a remarkable 15- year career in the National Football League “NFL,” ten of those years with the Oakland Raiders winning a championship in 1977 (1). In December of 1945, Ken passed away from colon cancer. Dr. Ann Mckee believed Ken might have eluded the worst of CTE (1). Dr. McKee found that if Ken hadn’t passed away from colon cancer, CTE would have fully developed, making Ken lose his mind (1). According to Ken’s daughters, Ken frequently complained of chronic headaches that lasted days. It’s likely to say that Ken suffered several concussions while playing football, not forgetting the ones that were probably went undiagnosed. It is unsettling to see such a great person and football hall of famer suffer from chronic headaches after retirement. Retirement should be a time to enjoy life and look back on your achievements, not a time to suffer from the very fruits of your labor.

            On September 8, 2015, Tyler Stash passed away on what was confirmed an accidental suicide on pain killers. Tyler was a football player who played with the New York Giants from 2011 to 2012 and released in 2013 (Graziano 1). According to The New York Times, Stash was unable to meaningfully find employment due to his memory loss and minor fits of temper, all related to CTE (1). Stash’s mother told the Times that sometimes she didn’t recognize her son’s decision making and reasoning (1). Sash’s brother told the Times that Sash had suffered two concussions during his high school career, one in college and multiple during his two-years playing in the NFL (1).  CTE has been discovered, in several of the brains, of football players throughout the years.

Many players who are diagnosed with CTE were diagnosed with high level after death. Therefore, more training should be required to diagnose concussions and preventional tactics should be put in place for players, in order to prevent brain damage and retiring with chronic headaches.  

Solutions

There is substantial evidence that traumatic brain injury to youth and school athletes in contact sports results from the cumulative effects of repeated low-grade or sub-concussive hits (Lench 1). The research has shown, better training and coaching will assist in preventing some, but not all, sports concussions or traumatic head injuries. Furthermore, reducing repetitive head impacts, limiting full-contact practices, better equipment, and head impact exposure will also help prevent traumatic brain injury (1). On the other hand, head injuries cannot be avoided entirely but experts and scientists believe the risks can by gravely reduced by just following some of the steps mentioned above.

A 2009 study done by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, found that high school football players sustain greater head accelerations after impact rather than their counterparts of college football players (Nate 1). For example, these impacts lead to concussions and cervical severe spine injuries (1). Furthermore, high school football athletes represent the single largest football groups in the United States (1). The study also showed that in any given year, between 4 and 6 percent of high school football athletes sustain concussions, which estimates to 43,200 to 67,200 injuries annually (1). It’s understood that football had an issue that needed a quick solution to prevent further damage to our present and future players. Helmet to helmet contact is one of the most concerning situations in football, about concussions. Strong evidence supports, being hit on the top of the head increases the risk of concussions and severe cervical injuries. Therefore, avoiding helmet to helmet contact would be a way to prevent as many concussions (1). Findings in the present study also concluded, that athletes who tackled with their heads down and received impact to top-of-the-head were 86.4% likely to be diagnosed with a concussion (Lench 1). However, athletes who made tackles with their head up and received impacts on another area of the head were 24% likely to receive a concussion (1). This study set out recommend coaches to improve teaching of “head-up” tackling. This is a form of tackling that would keep the players head up when attempting a tackle to prevent head to head impacts.

Referees and officials contribute to a significant portion of sports concussions. For instance, as a spectator, you often rely on an official to make the right calls, enforce the rules, and carry a positive attitude to create a fun and safe game for the athletes (Preventing Concussion 1). In addition, they also ensure all players are equipped with proper equipment incase contact is made with another player (1). It’s crucial for officials to enforce the illegal contact rule (1). When officials implement these types of rules it allows both teams to play a safer game. Referees are often a solution to the problem by enforcing the rules and preventing illegal hits, which often lead to concussions.

As mentioned before, equipment makes a substantial impact on how the sport is played. It affects the skills of the players and, most notably, their safety. Since the concussion epidemic started, the NFL and other organizations have developed different football helmets in order to help prevent concussions, but at the same time keep the same style. For instance, a football helmet is equipped with a variety of pads to assist in absorbing the impact when a player makes head to head contact with another player (Knap 1). According to the Seattle based sports equipment company, 25 NFL teams are using the Zero1 football helmet, which was ranked No. 1 in 2017 by the NFL/NFLPA (1). However, the NFL is not the only group using these helmets (1). Twenty teams in the NCAA football organization are also using the Zero1 football helmets (1). These helmets were designed by Vicis to help in reducing the risk of concussions and other brain injuries while playing football. Professional football player Doug Baldwin, a receiver for the Seattle Seahawks, is working with Vicis, in order to make sure they can provide the football organization, with a helmet that will protect players from future brain injuries (1).

Camus and Absurdity

            Albert Camus was a French-Algerian journalist and philosophical essayist who believed life had no meaning. Albert believed nothing exists that could ever be a source of purpose, and hence there is something deeply absurd about the human quest to find meaning (Maguire 1). Therefore, there’s no logical reasoning behind an epidemic that caused so many individuals to live with a brain injury that was a consequence of a concussion. The reason equipment is upgraded and continuously updated is the simple fact we all care for one another disregarding how cruel everything is around us (1).

Conclusion

Sports concussions are common among athletics and especially in games with head to head impact, such as football. As the years pass by, technology has also improved and created new and advance helmets and headgear for a variety of sports. The sporting community has learned that using proper equipment is one of the most effective ways to prevent concussions and future brain injuries for our children. However, coaches are just as responsible as are trainers in making sure they are up to date on new rules, procedures, and medical procedures.  Players need to understand the severity of the sports they participate in and what can occur if treatment is not sought quickly. Furthermore, players and parents also need to be educated in recognizing concussions to prevent fellow teammates and children from playing after receiving a hit to the head. Players often purchase the most updated equipment and are trained by the best and still obtain concussions. The focus should be on to recognize the injury and learning how to treat and prevent this injury from happening again or causing a more significant problem. Our brain is one the most critical organs in our body.

Works Cited

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Bush, Kim Ross. “Ken Stabler.” Concussion Legacy Foundation, 15 Aug. 2018, https://concussionfoundation.org/story/ken-stabler. Accessed 22 Oct. 2019

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Preventing Concussion.” BrainLine, 21 Nov. 2017, https://www.brainline.org/article/preventing-concussion. Accessed 29 Oct. 2019

"Concussion and Sports." BrainLine, 28 Aug. 2018, www.brainline.org/article/concussion-and- sports. Accessed 28 Sept. 2019.

Daneshvar, Daniel H, et al. “The Epidemiology of Sport-Related Concussion.” Clinics in Sports Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2011, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2987636/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2019

Graziano, Dan. “Tyler Sash CTE Level 'Had Advanced to Stage Rarely Seen' at Age 27.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 27 Jan. 2016, https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/14655379/tyler-sash-former-new-york-giants-safety-had-high-level-cte. Accessed 22 Oct. 2019

Harrison, Emily A. “The First Concussion Crisis: Head Injury and Evidence in Early American Football.” American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, May 2014, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3987576/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2019.

IEP. “Albert Camus.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, https://www.iep.utm.edu/camus/. Accedded 4 Nov. 2019

Knap, Patty. “Revolutionary New Football Helmet Will Lower Concussion Risk.” Aleteia, Aleteia, 24 Aug. 2017, https://aleteia.org/2017/08/24/revolutionary-new-football-helmet-will-lower-concussion-risk/. Accessed 4 Nov. 2019

Lench, Brooke de. “Seven Ways To Reduce Risk of Traumatic Brain Injury In Sports.” MomsTeam, https://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/seven-ways-to-reduce-risk-of-brain-trauma-in-contact-and-collision-sports. Accessed 29 Oct. 2019

Maguire, Laura. “Camus and Absurdity.” Philosophy Talk, 27 Feb. 2015, https://www.philosophytalk.org/blog/camus-and-absurdity. Accessed 4 Nov. 2019

NATIONAL ATHLETIC TRAINERS' ASSOCIATION. “Head Impacts Greater Among High School Football Players.” MomsTeam, https://www.momsteam.com/sports/study-finds-head-impacts-among-high-school-football-players-greater-than-collegiate-level. Accessed 29 Oct. 2019

Office of Public Affair. “Concussions: How They Can Affect You Now and Later  .” University of Utah Health, 17 Nov. 2016, https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/postings/2016/11/concussion.php. Accessed 20 Oct. 2019