concussions
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
Could be important for children that have had concussions
Could be important for children that have had concussions.The sport mentioned is football but hockey also has had a number of players with concussions. There might be a child or 2 that might have these symptoms.
A brain injury is causing some football players to burst into tears for no apparent reason
Imagine watching TV and suddenly bursting into tears, or conversely being at a funeral and suddenly breaking out in chuckles.
A neurological disorder called pseudobulbar affect, or PBA, involves sudden outbursts of laughter or crying in inappropriate contexts. People who suffer from PBA are not depressed or crazy.
Nearly 2 million Americans suffer from the disorder, which is known to occur in people with Alzheimer's disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and brain tumors.
But it can also happen to athletes after a concussion or traumatic brain injury, and nobody's really talking about it, says Jennifer McVige, a pediatric and adult neurologist who directs the concussion clinic at Dent Neurologic Institute in Amherst, New York.
One alarming aspect of the disorder is that it can affect people who are normally stereotyped as being macho or unemotional.
"There's a big strong guy ... a national figure, someone well-known — and they’re crying," McVige told Business Insider. "It makes people very uncomfortable" because they don't know why they're having these outbursts, she added.
What is PBA?
Brain injuries in football players have been in the national spotlight recently with the release of the movie "Concussion" with Will Smith. But few people may recognize that PBA is a possible outcome of the these injuries.
While it's often misdiagnosed as depression or bipolar disorder, studies suggest that PBA results from disruption of the brain signaling chemicals serotonin and glutamate.
When it comes to treating PBA, doctors have had some success with antidepressants such as tricyclics and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). And in 2010, the FDA approved the combination drug dextromethorphan/quinidine (trade name Nuedexta) as a treatment. The drug acts on receptors in the brain and spinal cord, although experts don't know the exact mechnism by which it works.
A surprisingly common problem
Sadly, the disorder is surprisingly common among football players. In 2014, the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, Inc., a nonprofit that provides financial and medical assistance to retired NFL players, conducted a survey of 7,000 former football players.
A whopping one third of the 516 former players and 42 family members who responded to the survey admitted to experiencing symptoms of PBA. But the majority of those surveyed were not aware that brain injuries could cause the disorder.
The study also found that just 16% of former players who reported having symptoms of the disorder had discussed them with a medical professional, and just over half of them received a diagnosis or explanation for the symptoms.
Additionally, many people were misinformed about or ashamed of their symptoms. About a third of those experiencing PBA said they "thought it was just depression" and a quarter of them were "too embarrassed to mention" it.
Raising awareness of the disorder
It's important to let people know that the disorder exists so they can better understand what's making them experience these strange emotional outbursts, McVige said.
"If you don't tell someone this can happen, they think something is wrong with them — they blame themselves," she said. "If you explain it's not your fault, it's damage to the brain's ability to regulate emotions, — once you understand that, you can actually treat it better."
The players' spouses and family members often benefit from this knowledge, too, said McVige, because it can be very frustrating to see their loved ones behave this way when they don't know what is causing the behavior.
But often just knowing the disorder exists can make people feel like a "huge weight has been lifted," McVige said.
Although PBA is well-known in some medical circles, it's still relatively unknown in the football community. In an effort to raise awareness of the disorder, Hall-of-Famer Barry Sanders has partnered with the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund and Aliso Viejo, CA-based pharma company Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (which manufactures Nuedexta) to launch a campaign called Tackle PBA.
http://www.businessinsider.com/brain-di ... mes-2016-1
A brain injury is causing some football players to burst into tears for no apparent reason
Imagine watching TV and suddenly bursting into tears, or conversely being at a funeral and suddenly breaking out in chuckles.
A neurological disorder called pseudobulbar affect, or PBA, involves sudden outbursts of laughter or crying in inappropriate contexts. People who suffer from PBA are not depressed or crazy.
Nearly 2 million Americans suffer from the disorder, which is known to occur in people with Alzheimer's disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and brain tumors.
But it can also happen to athletes after a concussion or traumatic brain injury, and nobody's really talking about it, says Jennifer McVige, a pediatric and adult neurologist who directs the concussion clinic at Dent Neurologic Institute in Amherst, New York.
One alarming aspect of the disorder is that it can affect people who are normally stereotyped as being macho or unemotional.
"There's a big strong guy ... a national figure, someone well-known — and they’re crying," McVige told Business Insider. "It makes people very uncomfortable" because they don't know why they're having these outbursts, she added.
What is PBA?
Brain injuries in football players have been in the national spotlight recently with the release of the movie "Concussion" with Will Smith. But few people may recognize that PBA is a possible outcome of the these injuries.
While it's often misdiagnosed as depression or bipolar disorder, studies suggest that PBA results from disruption of the brain signaling chemicals serotonin and glutamate.
When it comes to treating PBA, doctors have had some success with antidepressants such as tricyclics and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). And in 2010, the FDA approved the combination drug dextromethorphan/quinidine (trade name Nuedexta) as a treatment. The drug acts on receptors in the brain and spinal cord, although experts don't know the exact mechnism by which it works.
A surprisingly common problem
Sadly, the disorder is surprisingly common among football players. In 2014, the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, Inc., a nonprofit that provides financial and medical assistance to retired NFL players, conducted a survey of 7,000 former football players.
A whopping one third of the 516 former players and 42 family members who responded to the survey admitted to experiencing symptoms of PBA. But the majority of those surveyed were not aware that brain injuries could cause the disorder.
The study also found that just 16% of former players who reported having symptoms of the disorder had discussed them with a medical professional, and just over half of them received a diagnosis or explanation for the symptoms.
Additionally, many people were misinformed about or ashamed of their symptoms. About a third of those experiencing PBA said they "thought it was just depression" and a quarter of them were "too embarrassed to mention" it.
Raising awareness of the disorder
It's important to let people know that the disorder exists so they can better understand what's making them experience these strange emotional outbursts, McVige said.
"If you don't tell someone this can happen, they think something is wrong with them — they blame themselves," she said. "If you explain it's not your fault, it's damage to the brain's ability to regulate emotions, — once you understand that, you can actually treat it better."
The players' spouses and family members often benefit from this knowledge, too, said McVige, because it can be very frustrating to see their loved ones behave this way when they don't know what is causing the behavior.
But often just knowing the disorder exists can make people feel like a "huge weight has been lifted," McVige said.
Although PBA is well-known in some medical circles, it's still relatively unknown in the football community. In an effort to raise awareness of the disorder, Hall-of-Famer Barry Sanders has partnered with the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund and Aliso Viejo, CA-based pharma company Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (which manufactures Nuedexta) to launch a campaign called Tackle PBA.
http://www.businessinsider.com/brain-di ... mes-2016-1
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
6 stories
Friends of TSN Reporter Bob McKenzie
“Can’t begin to tell you how many of my friends have daughters who had to quit because of concussion woes. Girls hockey has no bodychecking.”
Kris Schultz’s 6 year old daughter
“My 6 yr old daughter had one this past summer...concussions aren’t going away.”
Lifelong LA Kings Fan
“I started playing ice hockey when I was 22. I’m a female and had 7 concussions in 10 years before I had to stop playing every week.
Played co-ed and female travel hockey. Six of my 7 came from “non-checking” rec league men out of retaliation for taking the puck.”
Read more: https://mobile.twitter.com/TSNBobMcKenz ... 2007286784
Danielle Svenne
“Second concussion of the week... Girls on the bench said they heard my head hit the ice. Don't feel super hot. Or smart. Or good at hockey!”
https://mobile.twitter.com/CS_Danielle/ ... 1196041217
Bobbi Mazur’s Daughter
Sitting at emergency with my daughter who suffered a concussion during her hockey game. Girls#hockey#fighting#stick2head#
https://mobile.twitter.com/BobbiMazur/s ... 6574477312
Maddi Kaehler
My mom just introduced me to her friends daughter as "you gave her a concussion your senior year of hockey" I'm like "hi nice 2 meet u"
https://twitter.com/maddikaehler/status ... 9687992322
“Can’t begin to tell you how many of my friends have daughters who had to quit because of concussion woes. Girls hockey has no bodychecking.”
Kris Schultz’s 6 year old daughter
“My 6 yr old daughter had one this past summer...concussions aren’t going away.”
Lifelong LA Kings Fan
“I started playing ice hockey when I was 22. I’m a female and had 7 concussions in 10 years before I had to stop playing every week.
Played co-ed and female travel hockey. Six of my 7 came from “non-checking” rec league men out of retaliation for taking the puck.”
Read more: https://mobile.twitter.com/TSNBobMcKenz ... 2007286784
Danielle Svenne
“Second concussion of the week... Girls on the bench said they heard my head hit the ice. Don't feel super hot. Or smart. Or good at hockey!”
https://mobile.twitter.com/CS_Danielle/ ... 1196041217
Bobbi Mazur’s Daughter
Sitting at emergency with my daughter who suffered a concussion during her hockey game. Girls#hockey#fighting#stick2head#
https://mobile.twitter.com/BobbiMazur/s ... 6574477312
Maddi Kaehler
My mom just introduced me to her friends daughter as "you gave her a concussion your senior year of hockey" I'm like "hi nice 2 meet u"
https://twitter.com/maddikaehler/status ... 9687992322
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
6 more stories
Emma’s Hockey Teammate
“Hockey girls: Hink is doing well. She’s currently resting and seems to have only a mild concussion at that. She’s thankful 4 all the support.”
https://mobile.twitter.com/nopantspleas ... 5517048832
Jena Cruz
I've had this concussion and been out of hockey for 3 weeks but it feels like 3 years...
https://twitter.com/Jena_00/status/673683742247034881
Molly Lucas
“#tbt to last Christmas when Bridget gave me a concussion during our family hockey game.”
https://twitter.com/mollylucas18/status ... 6608472064
Katie’s Friend
“A girl on my hockey team got a concussion in our game last night and that makes me sad.”
https://twitter.com/losjngmyseIf/status ... 1522414592
Maddie
“So I was hit in the back of the head today with a hockey puck. And it gave me a concussion. So that's cool.”
https://twitter.com/AyeItsMaddison/stat ... 3889459200
Miss Universe Canada Delegate Hayley Draper
“Haven’t had a concussion since my hockey days...#hurtingunit”
https://twitter.com/haleydraper/status/ ... 3974680576
NY Icecats Coach Jackie Spiegel
“Any tips for someone starting from scratch after concussion for ice/ball hockey?
https://twitter.com/nycdowntowndiva
“Hockey girls: Hink is doing well. She’s currently resting and seems to have only a mild concussion at that. She’s thankful 4 all the support.”
https://mobile.twitter.com/nopantspleas ... 5517048832
Jena Cruz
I've had this concussion and been out of hockey for 3 weeks but it feels like 3 years...
https://twitter.com/Jena_00/status/673683742247034881
Molly Lucas
“#tbt to last Christmas when Bridget gave me a concussion during our family hockey game.”
https://twitter.com/mollylucas18/status ... 6608472064
Katie’s Friend
“A girl on my hockey team got a concussion in our game last night and that makes me sad.”
https://twitter.com/losjngmyseIf/status ... 1522414592
Maddie
“So I was hit in the back of the head today with a hockey puck. And it gave me a concussion. So that's cool.”
https://twitter.com/AyeItsMaddison/stat ... 3889459200
Miss Universe Canada Delegate Hayley Draper
“Haven’t had a concussion since my hockey days...#hurtingunit”
https://twitter.com/haleydraper/status/ ... 3974680576
NY Icecats Coach Jackie Spiegel
“Any tips for someone starting from scratch after concussion for ice/ball hockey?
https://twitter.com/nycdowntowndiva
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
6 more stories
Jennifer Smith
“I have a new concussion. Happy birthday to me...”
https://twitter.com/hockey_chick_19
Courtney Szto, Hockey Organizer
“Hello! Do you ever do in-reach? Women’s rec hockey team, 8 rinks. Some knee injuries, a concussion, back issues. Thx.”
https://twitter.com/courtneyszto
OSU Women’s Club Hockey Alum Rachel Lewis
“Since my 2013 concussion I’ve had some memorization issues. Too many new jersey #s and names to memorize for OSU & Miami hockey.”
“And you got to witness what post-concussion syndrome did to my 2013-14 hockey season.”
https://twitter.com/tripledekephoto
Georgia Paulin
“Getting a concussion on the first day of hockey tryouts.”
https://twitter.com/_georgiapaulin
Ashley Baker
“I just told my dad I think I have a concussion and he said “well then I guess you can’t play hockey.” I can’t play hockey???”
https://twitter.com/ashleybaker102
“I have a new concussion. Happy birthday to me...”
https://twitter.com/hockey_chick_19
Courtney Szto, Hockey Organizer
“Hello! Do you ever do in-reach? Women’s rec hockey team, 8 rinks. Some knee injuries, a concussion, back issues. Thx.”
https://twitter.com/courtneyszto
OSU Women’s Club Hockey Alum Rachel Lewis
“Since my 2013 concussion I’ve had some memorization issues. Too many new jersey #s and names to memorize for OSU & Miami hockey.”
“And you got to witness what post-concussion syndrome did to my 2013-14 hockey season.”
https://twitter.com/tripledekephoto
Georgia Paulin
“Getting a concussion on the first day of hockey tryouts.”
https://twitter.com/_georgiapaulin
Ashley Baker
“I just told my dad I think I have a concussion and he said “well then I guess you can’t play hockey.” I can’t play hockey???”
https://twitter.com/ashleybaker102
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
4 more stories
Natalie Rocuskie’s Competition
“In my hockey game yesterday, I gave a girl a concussion.”
https://twitter.com/NatalieRocuskie
STFX Hockey Academy’s Hayley Runnalls
“The real implicaitions of playing hockey with post-concussion syndrome and waiting on hip surgery:
“Hayley don’t be dumb okay you have lots of years to do stupid **** but if you keep playing and become a ******* veggie then we have to push you around and do the dumb **** for you and you’ won’t be able to move so we will just feed you booze and pizza,” writes teammate Teala Gonzalez
https://twitter.com/hayleyrunnalls
http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/one-of-a-kin ... -1.1440812
Hayley MacDougall
“I’d do anything to go back to being the hockey player I was before I got a concussion and asthma.”
https://twitter.com/hayley_mac11
Alyssa in Ontario
“Girls hockey players gotta learn to not hit in the head. There’s absolutely no reason for it. I don’t need a 4th concussion.”
https://twitter.com/AlJaCa12
“In my hockey game yesterday, I gave a girl a concussion.”
https://twitter.com/NatalieRocuskie
STFX Hockey Academy’s Hayley Runnalls
“The real implicaitions of playing hockey with post-concussion syndrome and waiting on hip surgery:
“Hayley don’t be dumb okay you have lots of years to do stupid **** but if you keep playing and become a ******* veggie then we have to push you around and do the dumb **** for you and you’ won’t be able to move so we will just feed you booze and pizza,” writes teammate Teala Gonzalez
https://twitter.com/hayleyrunnalls
http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/one-of-a-kin ... -1.1440812
Hayley MacDougall
“I’d do anything to go back to being the hockey player I was before I got a concussion and asthma.”
https://twitter.com/hayley_mac11
Alyssa in Ontario
“Girls hockey players gotta learn to not hit in the head. There’s absolutely no reason for it. I don’t need a 4th concussion.”
https://twitter.com/AlJaCa12
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
1 story
Michaela Isetts-Williams
“Aside from her speed and strength, Michaela also seems almost impervious to injury on the ice. In 12 years of competitive hockey, Michaela has never had a break, fracture, tear or sprain. She suffered a concussion three years ago, but didn’t miss a game or a practice.
“I’ve never been horribly worried about her safety,” said Michaela’s mother, Candace Isetts-Williams. “It comes with hockey that the kids will get hit, even in girls’ hockey. I must admit that as a mom, I will gasp when I see her take a cheap hit or if she ends up on the bottom of a pile. But she will often skate away with a smile on her face and I know that she is OK.”
REAL School senior plans to play college hockey
Read more: http://journaltimes.com/news/local/educ ... 41e74.html
“Aside from her speed and strength, Michaela also seems almost impervious to injury on the ice. In 12 years of competitive hockey, Michaela has never had a break, fracture, tear or sprain. She suffered a concussion three years ago, but didn’t miss a game or a practice.
“I’ve never been horribly worried about her safety,” said Michaela’s mother, Candace Isetts-Williams. “It comes with hockey that the kids will get hit, even in girls’ hockey. I must admit that as a mom, I will gasp when I see her take a cheap hit or if she ends up on the bottom of a pile. But she will often skate away with a smile on her face and I know that she is OK.”
REAL School senior plans to play college hockey
Read more: http://journaltimes.com/news/local/educ ... 41e74.html
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
NWHL concussions
Madison Packer & other NWHL Players
"The National Women’s Hockey League poses the risk of being the most dangerous hockey league to currently play in. The league, in it’s inaugural season, has already been forced to deal with incredibly serious injuries that have resulted in players’ hospitalizations. Though the tragedy that struck Denna Liang and the Boston Pride at the Winter Classic will have our heads reeling for years to come, there are additional aspects of the NWHL that are putting their players at great risk.
The primary concern that comes to mind when looking at a new league is how to keep order during play. To do this, a rule book must be made available for not only the referees but the players, coaches, and the fans. The lack of a detailed and specific rule book allows players, coaches, and referees to interpret and react to the game however they see fit.
UNSAFE PLAY
With a rule book not directly outlining the level of physicality allowed on ice the league is making way for serious injuries to occur without the referees knowledge. The Riveters’ Madison Packer fell to the ice while playing against the Connecticut Whale on Jan. 3; the refs had not seen the play and had to be directed to Packer by the fans. Packer is suspected to have a concussion.
The rule book needs to detail how to address plays on ice (especially those where head contact is involved) and make the call. The players and coaches need to understand these rules as well. Players need to know exactly what is acceptable and that there will be repercussions when a play seriously endangers another athlete. The NWHL has already set a good precedent by suspending Micaela Long of the Whale for her high and late hit on Ashley Johnston, the captain of the Riveters.
In addition, coaches need to understand what to expect from their players, and try and limit the amount of dangerous plays being made from a coaching standpoint. Though the NWHL is making strides as far as concussion management goes,dangerous hits and plays need to be given the levity they deserve, especially when head contact is involved.
FIGHTING AS MEANS TO DRAW ATTENTION
The Connecticut Whale, before their infamous line brawl against the New York Riveters, had the most wins in the NWHL. Despite their ridiculously impressive 9-1 record, the Whale were only able to make the headlines when the New York Riveters poured onto the ice disrupting the game.
What does this tell these athletes? That the only way this sport is going to be recognized is if they drop the gloves – which not only cheapens the sport but also puts them all at a greater risk for injury.
Fighting alone presents a risk of concussions, broken fingers, and lacerations – but brawls are infinitely more dangerous. Referees cannot be in 20 places at once, and breaking up a fight is difficult enough with only two people. With players clamoring over each other in a brawl, there are increased risks: for example, falling in a brawl could result in getting concussed or trampled by players’ skate blades.
Additionally, due to the lack of a rule book these players have a lot of incentive to start a large fight. I know it sounds crazy, but bear with me. Not only does fighting draw attention to the sport, but the NWHL doesn’t have the ability to dole out the proper punishments. If one person leaves the bench to join the fisticuffs, that single player will receive a match penalty and a game suspension (with no pay). But, if the entire bench floods the ice, the league can’t afford to suspend them all a game.
Unlike the NHL, the NWHL does not have the luxury of farm clubs. Though the NWHL teams do have practice players who can be signed on a game-by-game basis, they do not have the means to replace a suspended team. Additionally, having to cancel a game due to the suspensions would cause the NWHL to lose money and reflect poorly on the league.
PRESSURE TO RETURN TO PLAY
Hockey culture is one that values mental toughness and the wiliness to play through pain in order to better your team. In a league as small as and as new as the NWHL, one of the biggest risks to players is the intense pressure for them to return to play.
The NWHL is in a position where they have limited resources as far as players go. When big names like Madison Packer and Ashley Johnston are out for an extended period of time, there is the worry that sales may decrease or the team’s overall play may deteriorate.
The reality is this: though the NWHL is making history being the first paid professional women’s hockey league, the problem is still that these women are still not making a living salary. The average salary for an NWHL player is only $15,000. A lot of these players will still have to hold down another job. This provides them another reasons to push through the pain and force themselves to play and (and attend other jobs) despite serious injuries.
WHAT CAN THE NWHL DO?
The NWHL desperately needs to have a rule book published and put on the site in order for players, coaches, and referees to understand the game better. Once this is done, referees will be able to call the game more closely and hopefully prevent dangerous outbursts like the Whale and Riveters brawl.
Additionally the NWHL needs to make a point to the athletes and the fans that fighting and other dangerous plays will not be tolerated. Despite the fact that fighting is popular and may draw attention to the league, the attention will be for all the wrong reasons. The NWHL and its players are making history being the first paid professional women’s hockey league, and they deserve to be recognized by their high level of play, not their ability to fight."
Growing Pains in the NWHL: Brawls, Rules, and Injuries
Read more: http://alongtheboards.com/2016/01/nwhl- ... -injuries/
"The National Women’s Hockey League poses the risk of being the most dangerous hockey league to currently play in. The league, in it’s inaugural season, has already been forced to deal with incredibly serious injuries that have resulted in players’ hospitalizations. Though the tragedy that struck Denna Liang and the Boston Pride at the Winter Classic will have our heads reeling for years to come, there are additional aspects of the NWHL that are putting their players at great risk.
The primary concern that comes to mind when looking at a new league is how to keep order during play. To do this, a rule book must be made available for not only the referees but the players, coaches, and the fans. The lack of a detailed and specific rule book allows players, coaches, and referees to interpret and react to the game however they see fit.
UNSAFE PLAY
With a rule book not directly outlining the level of physicality allowed on ice the league is making way for serious injuries to occur without the referees knowledge. The Riveters’ Madison Packer fell to the ice while playing against the Connecticut Whale on Jan. 3; the refs had not seen the play and had to be directed to Packer by the fans. Packer is suspected to have a concussion.
The rule book needs to detail how to address plays on ice (especially those where head contact is involved) and make the call. The players and coaches need to understand these rules as well. Players need to know exactly what is acceptable and that there will be repercussions when a play seriously endangers another athlete. The NWHL has already set a good precedent by suspending Micaela Long of the Whale for her high and late hit on Ashley Johnston, the captain of the Riveters.
In addition, coaches need to understand what to expect from their players, and try and limit the amount of dangerous plays being made from a coaching standpoint. Though the NWHL is making strides as far as concussion management goes,dangerous hits and plays need to be given the levity they deserve, especially when head contact is involved.
FIGHTING AS MEANS TO DRAW ATTENTION
The Connecticut Whale, before their infamous line brawl against the New York Riveters, had the most wins in the NWHL. Despite their ridiculously impressive 9-1 record, the Whale were only able to make the headlines when the New York Riveters poured onto the ice disrupting the game.
What does this tell these athletes? That the only way this sport is going to be recognized is if they drop the gloves – which not only cheapens the sport but also puts them all at a greater risk for injury.
Fighting alone presents a risk of concussions, broken fingers, and lacerations – but brawls are infinitely more dangerous. Referees cannot be in 20 places at once, and breaking up a fight is difficult enough with only two people. With players clamoring over each other in a brawl, there are increased risks: for example, falling in a brawl could result in getting concussed or trampled by players’ skate blades.
Additionally, due to the lack of a rule book these players have a lot of incentive to start a large fight. I know it sounds crazy, but bear with me. Not only does fighting draw attention to the sport, but the NWHL doesn’t have the ability to dole out the proper punishments. If one person leaves the bench to join the fisticuffs, that single player will receive a match penalty and a game suspension (with no pay). But, if the entire bench floods the ice, the league can’t afford to suspend them all a game.
Unlike the NHL, the NWHL does not have the luxury of farm clubs. Though the NWHL teams do have practice players who can be signed on a game-by-game basis, they do not have the means to replace a suspended team. Additionally, having to cancel a game due to the suspensions would cause the NWHL to lose money and reflect poorly on the league.
PRESSURE TO RETURN TO PLAY
Hockey culture is one that values mental toughness and the wiliness to play through pain in order to better your team. In a league as small as and as new as the NWHL, one of the biggest risks to players is the intense pressure for them to return to play.
The NWHL is in a position where they have limited resources as far as players go. When big names like Madison Packer and Ashley Johnston are out for an extended period of time, there is the worry that sales may decrease or the team’s overall play may deteriorate.
The reality is this: though the NWHL is making history being the first paid professional women’s hockey league, the problem is still that these women are still not making a living salary. The average salary for an NWHL player is only $15,000. A lot of these players will still have to hold down another job. This provides them another reasons to push through the pain and force themselves to play and (and attend other jobs) despite serious injuries.
WHAT CAN THE NWHL DO?
The NWHL desperately needs to have a rule book published and put on the site in order for players, coaches, and referees to understand the game better. Once this is done, referees will be able to call the game more closely and hopefully prevent dangerous outbursts like the Whale and Riveters brawl.
Additionally the NWHL needs to make a point to the athletes and the fans that fighting and other dangerous plays will not be tolerated. Despite the fact that fighting is popular and may draw attention to the league, the attention will be for all the wrong reasons. The NWHL and its players are making history being the first paid professional women’s hockey league, and they deserve to be recognized by their high level of play, not their ability to fight."
Growing Pains in the NWHL: Brawls, Rules, and Injuries
Read more: http://alongtheboards.com/2016/01/nwhl- ... -injuries/
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
Jared Parker
Jared Parker
"A Prince George mother hopes a scholarship in memory of her son, who committed suicide, will help fund more research into mental illness and concussions.
Jared Parker took his own life this year when he was only 20 years old. His mother, Linda Parker, believes his death may have been partly caused by two concussions he sustained as a child while snowboarding and playing hockey.
She hopes that raising $30,000 for a UNBC scholarship will help researchers shed more light on the link between concussions and mental illness.
"As a mother, as a parent, I can't help but think, did his two concussions, pre-teen concussions, have anything to do with his behaviour in his later teens — did that affect his life?"
Closure for questions unanswered
Parker says she will never know exactly why her otherwise active and curious son suffered from anxiety and depression as he grew older. But she hopes that this scholarship will help fund research that may prevent other families from suffering the same fate as her son.
"It's really an opportunity to give something to the community through our personal tragedy. Perhaps we can prevent this from happening to another family."
Contributing in their son's memory is part of the healing process, said Parker.
"It's so important to us. It's part of our healing."
"I hope he's remembered as a vibrant, curious, athletic young man who loved life."
People can donate to the scholarship at UNBC.ca/giving specifying funds for the Jared Parker Memorial Fund.
To listen to the full audio, click the link labelled: Son's memory lives on in scholarship for mental health research.
Son's suicide leads mom to raise money for mental health and concussion research
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/brit ... -1.3370258
"A Prince George mother hopes a scholarship in memory of her son, who committed suicide, will help fund more research into mental illness and concussions.
Jared Parker took his own life this year when he was only 20 years old. His mother, Linda Parker, believes his death may have been partly caused by two concussions he sustained as a child while snowboarding and playing hockey.
She hopes that raising $30,000 for a UNBC scholarship will help researchers shed more light on the link between concussions and mental illness.
"As a mother, as a parent, I can't help but think, did his two concussions, pre-teen concussions, have anything to do with his behaviour in his later teens — did that affect his life?"
Closure for questions unanswered
Parker says she will never know exactly why her otherwise active and curious son suffered from anxiety and depression as he grew older. But she hopes that this scholarship will help fund research that may prevent other families from suffering the same fate as her son.
"It's really an opportunity to give something to the community through our personal tragedy. Perhaps we can prevent this from happening to another family."
Contributing in their son's memory is part of the healing process, said Parker.
"It's so important to us. It's part of our healing."
"I hope he's remembered as a vibrant, curious, athletic young man who loved life."
People can donate to the scholarship at UNBC.ca/giving specifying funds for the Jared Parker Memorial Fund.
To listen to the full audio, click the link labelled: Son's memory lives on in scholarship for mental health research.
Son's suicide leads mom to raise money for mental health and concussion research
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/brit ... -1.3370258
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
Concussion Litigation for Universities
Best question: Would you like this to happen to your child?
Watch: Attorney Jason Luckasevic - The Risk of Concussion Litigation for Universities
https://vimeo.com/139064559?utm_source= ... _campaign=
Watch: Attorney Jason Luckasevic - The Risk of Concussion Litigation for Universities
https://vimeo.com/139064559?utm_source= ... _campaign=
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
Disqualified at one school go to another
"Syracuse does not have a hard rule on disqualifying athletes after three concussions, though the SU women's hockey coach, Paul Flanagan, understood the school's concussion policy to mean "three is the magic number."
AJ Long, Syracuse Football at Center of STAT Report on Concussions
Read more: http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/ ... sions.html
Special Stat Report: Disqualified After Concussions, College Football Players Recruited Back Onto The Field
Read more: http://www.statnews.com/2016/01/08/conc ... l-players/
AJ Long, Syracuse Football at Center of STAT Report on Concussions
Read more: http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/ ... sions.html
Special Stat Report: Disqualified After Concussions, College Football Players Recruited Back Onto The Field
Read more: http://www.statnews.com/2016/01/08/conc ... l-players/
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
-
greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
spine injuries
Denna Laing, Travis Roy, Thomas Smith, Matt Brown, Neil Doef, Jack Jablonski, Ryan Raven, Mikey Nichols, Kaitlyn Klein, Derek Zike, Braden Pettinger, and more.
“Denna Laing, the 24-year-old professional hockey player who suffered a severe spinal cord injury in the first Outdoor Women’s Classic, is just the most recent hockey player in the Boston area to face paralysis after crashing headfirst into the boards. It begs the question: Isn’t there more the sport can do to eliminate these tragic accidents?
Laing, who grew up in Marblehead, went to Noble and Greenough School and then was a two-time captain at Princeton University, was playing for the Boston Pride of the newly formed National Women’s Hockey League. Late in the first period of the Dec. 31 exhibition game at Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium, she stepped on a stick and hurtled into the boards. Laing was taken off on a stretcher and rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital. Days later her parents revealed she had no feeling in her legs and limited movement in her arms.
Specific details about the extent of the spinal cord trauma have not yet been released, but she crushed “multiple vertebrae” and clearly has a long, challenging road ahead of her. “She remains positive and strong,” her family posted on Facebook. “Which helps us through this difficult time.” Indeed, Denna was able to post a note saying the injury didn’t spoil “the best day of my life,” and later tweeted a video from her hospital bed smiling and saying “I’m back.” A website has been set up accepting donations for her medical care. But for the entire hockey community, and especially her family, teammates and friends, it is heartbreaking.
I know it too well.
Twenty years ago, in his first shift of his first game for Boston University Terriers, Travis Roy went headfirst into the boards, crushing two vertebrae and leaving him a quadriplegic. In the months following we did a book together, “Eleven Seconds,” which chronicled the excruciating process of how he moved on to the next phase of his life.
It was an honor to work with such a courageous, selfless young man, and his life since the accident has been incredibly productive. He has raised millions of dollars through the Travis Roy Foundation for spinal cord research and individual grants to paralysis victims.
He never lost his love of hockey, but he hates his wheelchair. Travis posted a message on Facebook after Denna’s injury that concluded: “I must say the older I get, the more I hate paralysis! I know the emotions that Denna and her family are feeling right now, and quite frankly it turns my stomach. I hate that this happened to another person in the hockey family…”
Severe spinal cord injuries in hockey are rare, but the fact is 50 years ago, when I was a teenager playing the sport, they were unheard of. Accurate statistics are difficult to find from those years, but according to the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, between 1948 and 1973 in the two major Toronto hospitals there were no cases of severe spinal cord injuries caused by hockey. Zero in 26 years. Between 1974 and 1981, there were a total of six cases of severe spinal cord injuries in those same hospitals, five coming between Sept. 1980 and Oct. 1981.
What changed? The full face shield on helmets became mandatory in Canada’s youth hockey leagues in the late 1970s. As an unintended consequence, between 1982 and 1986 there was an average of 15 severe spinal cord injuries per year from hockey in Canada alone.
Statistics from the U.S. are not readily available, but it is fair to infer they followed a similar pattern. A 1995 report by the American Academy of Pediatrics concluded:
“The introduction of mandatory head and facial protection has been effective in virtually eliminating ocular, facial, and dental injuries in youth hockey, but it has also been problematically linked with an increase in catastrophic spinal injuries. Players adopt a false sense of security when donning the equipment, leading them to take excessive and unwarranted risks because of the protection they are supposedly afforded. The addition of these protective devices has also altered how officials perceive game situations, leading them to be more lenient in administering penalties. The net result has been an increase in illegal and injurious behaviors, such as checking from behind.”
In 1995 alone there were 26 cases of severe spinal cord injuries from hockey worldwide. Most were caused by a player going headfirst into the boards, but not necessarily as the result of a check. Sometimes, as was the case with Travis, a player simply lost his balance while going too fast. The boards don’t give. Instinctively, before there were face masks, players checked their speed when approaching the boards.
Hockey leagues at all levels have been cracking down on checking from behind, and preaching “heads up, don’t duck” when a player slides into the boards. Those steps have reduced the number of spinal cord injuries significantly.
But they still occur, and in the last six years there have been three in Greater Boston. In 2009, Thomas Smith of Swampscott was paralyzed after hitting the boards during a practice with the Boston Bullets. In 2010, Norwood High School’s Matt Brown went headfirst into the boards and was paralyzed from the waist down. Now there is Denna Laing.
What can be done? In the years since his injury, Thomas Smith has invented a “Look-up Line”: a zone within 40 inches of the boards that is painted orange and works like baseball’s warning track. The hope is players see it and exercise extra caution. USA Hockey has not endorsed the “Look-up Line,” but individual rinks are allowed to try it, and they will study the results. My own feeling is the zone would need to be at least six feet from the boards to be effective.
What I would really like to see is for the full face shield to be voluntary, not mandatory. Youth players should have the opportunity to choose a half face shield for protection, which is what a majority of players in the NHL use. As fast and violent as the NHL game is, I cannot find a single instance of an NHL player being paralyzed during a game. Not one. With a half shield your eyes are protected, but your mouth and chin are still very much exposed, instilling an instinctive measure of caution. Yes, with such a change in youth hockey there will be stitches. There will be missing teeth. But maybe, just maybe, there will be no more kids spending the rest of their lives in a wheelchair.
Why not try it? Let the parents and the kids decide which risk they would rather take.
Masking The Real Dangers Of Hockey’s Full Face Shield
Read more: https://cognoscenti.wbur.org/2016/01/13 ... -e-m-swift>
“Denna Laing, the 24-year-old professional hockey player who suffered a severe spinal cord injury in the first Outdoor Women’s Classic, is just the most recent hockey player in the Boston area to face paralysis after crashing headfirst into the boards. It begs the question: Isn’t there more the sport can do to eliminate these tragic accidents?
Laing, who grew up in Marblehead, went to Noble and Greenough School and then was a two-time captain at Princeton University, was playing for the Boston Pride of the newly formed National Women’s Hockey League. Late in the first period of the Dec. 31 exhibition game at Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium, she stepped on a stick and hurtled into the boards. Laing was taken off on a stretcher and rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital. Days later her parents revealed she had no feeling in her legs and limited movement in her arms.
Specific details about the extent of the spinal cord trauma have not yet been released, but she crushed “multiple vertebrae” and clearly has a long, challenging road ahead of her. “She remains positive and strong,” her family posted on Facebook. “Which helps us through this difficult time.” Indeed, Denna was able to post a note saying the injury didn’t spoil “the best day of my life,” and later tweeted a video from her hospital bed smiling and saying “I’m back.” A website has been set up accepting donations for her medical care. But for the entire hockey community, and especially her family, teammates and friends, it is heartbreaking.
I know it too well.
Twenty years ago, in his first shift of his first game for Boston University Terriers, Travis Roy went headfirst into the boards, crushing two vertebrae and leaving him a quadriplegic. In the months following we did a book together, “Eleven Seconds,” which chronicled the excruciating process of how he moved on to the next phase of his life.
It was an honor to work with such a courageous, selfless young man, and his life since the accident has been incredibly productive. He has raised millions of dollars through the Travis Roy Foundation for spinal cord research and individual grants to paralysis victims.
He never lost his love of hockey, but he hates his wheelchair. Travis posted a message on Facebook after Denna’s injury that concluded: “I must say the older I get, the more I hate paralysis! I know the emotions that Denna and her family are feeling right now, and quite frankly it turns my stomach. I hate that this happened to another person in the hockey family…”
Severe spinal cord injuries in hockey are rare, but the fact is 50 years ago, when I was a teenager playing the sport, they were unheard of. Accurate statistics are difficult to find from those years, but according to the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, between 1948 and 1973 in the two major Toronto hospitals there were no cases of severe spinal cord injuries caused by hockey. Zero in 26 years. Between 1974 and 1981, there were a total of six cases of severe spinal cord injuries in those same hospitals, five coming between Sept. 1980 and Oct. 1981.
What changed? The full face shield on helmets became mandatory in Canada’s youth hockey leagues in the late 1970s. As an unintended consequence, between 1982 and 1986 there was an average of 15 severe spinal cord injuries per year from hockey in Canada alone.
Statistics from the U.S. are not readily available, but it is fair to infer they followed a similar pattern. A 1995 report by the American Academy of Pediatrics concluded:
“The introduction of mandatory head and facial protection has been effective in virtually eliminating ocular, facial, and dental injuries in youth hockey, but it has also been problematically linked with an increase in catastrophic spinal injuries. Players adopt a false sense of security when donning the equipment, leading them to take excessive and unwarranted risks because of the protection they are supposedly afforded. The addition of these protective devices has also altered how officials perceive game situations, leading them to be more lenient in administering penalties. The net result has been an increase in illegal and injurious behaviors, such as checking from behind.”
In 1995 alone there were 26 cases of severe spinal cord injuries from hockey worldwide. Most were caused by a player going headfirst into the boards, but not necessarily as the result of a check. Sometimes, as was the case with Travis, a player simply lost his balance while going too fast. The boards don’t give. Instinctively, before there were face masks, players checked their speed when approaching the boards.
Hockey leagues at all levels have been cracking down on checking from behind, and preaching “heads up, don’t duck” when a player slides into the boards. Those steps have reduced the number of spinal cord injuries significantly.
But they still occur, and in the last six years there have been three in Greater Boston. In 2009, Thomas Smith of Swampscott was paralyzed after hitting the boards during a practice with the Boston Bullets. In 2010, Norwood High School’s Matt Brown went headfirst into the boards and was paralyzed from the waist down. Now there is Denna Laing.
What can be done? In the years since his injury, Thomas Smith has invented a “Look-up Line”: a zone within 40 inches of the boards that is painted orange and works like baseball’s warning track. The hope is players see it and exercise extra caution. USA Hockey has not endorsed the “Look-up Line,” but individual rinks are allowed to try it, and they will study the results. My own feeling is the zone would need to be at least six feet from the boards to be effective.
What I would really like to see is for the full face shield to be voluntary, not mandatory. Youth players should have the opportunity to choose a half face shield for protection, which is what a majority of players in the NHL use. As fast and violent as the NHL game is, I cannot find a single instance of an NHL player being paralyzed during a game. Not one. With a half shield your eyes are protected, but your mouth and chin are still very much exposed, instilling an instinctive measure of caution. Yes, with such a change in youth hockey there will be stitches. There will be missing teeth. But maybe, just maybe, there will be no more kids spending the rest of their lives in a wheelchair.
Why not try it? Let the parents and the kids decide which risk they would rather take.
Masking The Real Dangers Of Hockey’s Full Face Shield
Read more: https://cognoscenti.wbur.org/2016/01/13 ... -e-m-swift>
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
-
greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
more stories
Anizia Babczenko and Kyra DalBello
"Stamford-Westhill-Staples, which had a breakout season in 2014-2015, is now 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the FCIAC. SWS has also won four consecutive contests in the last five days.
SWS, which has the luxury of a 26-player roster in an FCIAC league where teams can only dress 20 players for each game, overcame a number of obstacles Saturday to defeat a stubborn Wilton Co-op (1-11 overall).
Stamford-Westhill-Staples had four players missing due to commitments and concussion protocol including leading scorers Anizia Babczenko and Kyra DalBello."
Stamford-Westhill-Staples Girls Hockey Posts 4th Straight Win
Read more:
http://m.stamfordadvocate.com/sports/ar ... 764558.php
Maggie Bettez & Alex Macrides
“A couple of injuries to key players have left the Acton-Boxboro girls with somewhat of a short bench in the early going of the new season. The Colonials have weathered it just fine thus far, producing three blowouts, but knew they would face their first real test when perennial power Hingham came for a visit Monday night.
What A-B needed was for its best players to step up, and step up they did.
Leah Cardarelli scored twice, Cali Loblundo made 19 saves and Alex Loblundo served as the anchor of what has become an inexperienced defensive corps to help the third-ranked Colonials hold off No. 10 Hingham for a 2-1 victory at the Nashoba Valley Olympia.
A-B (4-0-0) has been without top defenseman Alex Macrides, who suffered a concussion before the season, then lost another defenseman when Maggie Bettez suffered a similar injury last week. That forced coach Brian Fontas to do some shuffling as the Colonials were only able to dress 12 skaters against the Harborwomen (1-2-1).
“We had a short bench tonight and I had kids that have never played in a game like this before,” Fontas admitted. “I give them a lot of credit. They kept it simple and did what we asked them to do, which was not over-handle the puck and just chip it off the boards and get it out. I thought if we could get two or three goals we could hold on but that’s a good team over there.”
A-B Doesn’t Come Up Short, Edges Hingham
Read more: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/high ... es_hingham
Captain Lauren Fitch
WILMINGTON
League: Middlesex
Last year: 7-11-2.
Returning lettermen: Seniors Shelby McHugh, Jackie Ryan, Lauren Fitch (captain), Lauren DePasquale (captain), Deeanna Mallett, Bridgette Santos. Junior Morgan Dibennedetto. Sophomore Sam Grasso. Freshmen Danielle Silva and Olivia Wingate.
Promising newcomers: Freshmen Jill Miele and Lauren D'Angelo.
Coach Jeff Covelluzzi (1st season): "Although the team is young with seven freshman and captain Lauren Fitch will be sidelined for a good portion of the season out with a concussion, the Wildcats will be competitive in a very strong Middlesex League. All-Star goalie and four-year starter Shelby McHugh will keep the puck out of the net. However, we will be looking for someone that can consistently score goals."
Girls Hockey Season Preview Capsules
Read more: http://www.lowellsun.com/hockey/ci_2721 ... z3xcxIvnt2
"Stamford-Westhill-Staples, which had a breakout season in 2014-2015, is now 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the FCIAC. SWS has also won four consecutive contests in the last five days.
SWS, which has the luxury of a 26-player roster in an FCIAC league where teams can only dress 20 players for each game, overcame a number of obstacles Saturday to defeat a stubborn Wilton Co-op (1-11 overall).
Stamford-Westhill-Staples had four players missing due to commitments and concussion protocol including leading scorers Anizia Babczenko and Kyra DalBello."
Stamford-Westhill-Staples Girls Hockey Posts 4th Straight Win
Read more:
http://m.stamfordadvocate.com/sports/ar ... 764558.php
Maggie Bettez & Alex Macrides
“A couple of injuries to key players have left the Acton-Boxboro girls with somewhat of a short bench in the early going of the new season. The Colonials have weathered it just fine thus far, producing three blowouts, but knew they would face their first real test when perennial power Hingham came for a visit Monday night.
What A-B needed was for its best players to step up, and step up they did.
Leah Cardarelli scored twice, Cali Loblundo made 19 saves and Alex Loblundo served as the anchor of what has become an inexperienced defensive corps to help the third-ranked Colonials hold off No. 10 Hingham for a 2-1 victory at the Nashoba Valley Olympia.
A-B (4-0-0) has been without top defenseman Alex Macrides, who suffered a concussion before the season, then lost another defenseman when Maggie Bettez suffered a similar injury last week. That forced coach Brian Fontas to do some shuffling as the Colonials were only able to dress 12 skaters against the Harborwomen (1-2-1).
“We had a short bench tonight and I had kids that have never played in a game like this before,” Fontas admitted. “I give them a lot of credit. They kept it simple and did what we asked them to do, which was not over-handle the puck and just chip it off the boards and get it out. I thought if we could get two or three goals we could hold on but that’s a good team over there.”
A-B Doesn’t Come Up Short, Edges Hingham
Read more: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/high ... es_hingham
Captain Lauren Fitch
WILMINGTON
League: Middlesex
Last year: 7-11-2.
Returning lettermen: Seniors Shelby McHugh, Jackie Ryan, Lauren Fitch (captain), Lauren DePasquale (captain), Deeanna Mallett, Bridgette Santos. Junior Morgan Dibennedetto. Sophomore Sam Grasso. Freshmen Danielle Silva and Olivia Wingate.
Promising newcomers: Freshmen Jill Miele and Lauren D'Angelo.
Coach Jeff Covelluzzi (1st season): "Although the team is young with seven freshman and captain Lauren Fitch will be sidelined for a good portion of the season out with a concussion, the Wildcats will be competitive in a very strong Middlesex League. All-Star goalie and four-year starter Shelby McHugh will keep the puck out of the net. However, we will be looking for someone that can consistently score goals."
Girls Hockey Season Preview Capsules
Read more: http://www.lowellsun.com/hockey/ci_2721 ... z3xcxIvnt2
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
Every concussion is a TBI
Every concussion is a TBI
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/9005800
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/9005800
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
Paige Deckers blog #17
Part 17. Beginning the Healing Process 18 Months Post Concussion — The Invisible Injury
http://www.theinvisibleinjury.net/blog/2016/1/19/17
http://www.theinvisibleinjury.net/blog/2016/1/19/17
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
-
greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
Concussion Injury Potential
Concussion Injury Potential Offsets Benefit of ‘Playing Up’ in Youth Hockey, Study Argues
Concussion symptoms last significantly longer for student hockey players in earlier stages of puberty, according to a new U.S. study that warns younger players should be discouraged from “playing up” with older, more physically mature athletes.
The study, published last week in the Journal of Pediatrics, found teenage boys who were less physically developed took an average of 54 days to recover from a concussion. That was about three weeks or nearly 40-per-cent longer than the average recovery for those who were in more advanced stages of puberty.
Lead author Dr. Peter Kriz, of the department of orthopedics at Rhode Island Hospital, explains that talented young athletes are often encouraged to “play up,” or to play at a higher level with older, more advanced players, to give them opportunity to develop skills. In some circumstances, 14-year-olds may be grouped with players aged 18 and under, he says.
“The potential injury risk, specifically with concussion, probably outweighs the benefits of developing skill,” says Kriz, a sports-medicine physician affiliated with Brown University. “What we see is sometimes those really skilled, younger, undersized players accrue a few injuries, and then, unfortunately, they can’t really sustain contact. They get symptomatic and in some cases they have to leave the sport.”
The study examined data from 145 hockey players, both male and female, ages 13 to 18, who visited three sports-medicine clinics with concussions. Concussion symptoms included signs such as headache, dizziness, difficulty concentrating and disrupted sleep. The players were also asked about their puberty development, using a validated self-assessment rating scale that involved questions such as whether their voice had started deepening for boys, and whether they had begun to menstruate for girls.
Among the 101 male participants, those in the “early” puberty category reported concussion symptoms that lasted longer. Heavier male players were less likely to experience prolonged symptoms. Unexpectedly, among the 44 female participants, heavier players had a higher risk of longer-lasting symptoms, though the researchers noted this result “may have more statistical than clinical significance.”
One of the limitations of the study was that roughly 44 per cent of the participants visited one of the three clinics within the first 10 days of their injury, Kriz says, noting the delay in seeing a clinic doctor may have affected the recovery times of the rest of the players. This delay, however, is common for patients seeking treatment at specialized clinics, he says.
Over all, the findings support growing concern that it may take longer for adolescent athletes to recover from concussions than adults.
Questions about whether to ban or delay the introduction of physical contact have been subject to much debate in youth hockey, as growing research points to the prevalence and health consequences of concussions in contact sports.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against bodychecking before the age of 15, and recommends youth hockey organizations expand their non-checking program. In their study, Kriz and his fellow researchers support this latter recommendation.
“I’m all for endorsing proper bodychecking technique, and kids need to learn that. That’s a point of emphasis here, no question,” Kriz says. But, he notes, they need to be learning with peers at the same relative age. “They shouldn’t be learning how to bodycheck when they’re playing in a game against someone three or four years older. That’s probably going to be a set-up for failure and injury.”
Read more: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/hea ... e28254575/
Original Study: Physical Maturity and Concussion Symptom Duration among Adolescent Ice Hockey Players
Read more: http://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476 ... 4/abstract
Concussion symptoms last significantly longer for student hockey players in earlier stages of puberty, according to a new U.S. study that warns younger players should be discouraged from “playing up” with older, more physically mature athletes.
The study, published last week in the Journal of Pediatrics, found teenage boys who were less physically developed took an average of 54 days to recover from a concussion. That was about three weeks or nearly 40-per-cent longer than the average recovery for those who were in more advanced stages of puberty.
Lead author Dr. Peter Kriz, of the department of orthopedics at Rhode Island Hospital, explains that talented young athletes are often encouraged to “play up,” or to play at a higher level with older, more advanced players, to give them opportunity to develop skills. In some circumstances, 14-year-olds may be grouped with players aged 18 and under, he says.
“The potential injury risk, specifically with concussion, probably outweighs the benefits of developing skill,” says Kriz, a sports-medicine physician affiliated with Brown University. “What we see is sometimes those really skilled, younger, undersized players accrue a few injuries, and then, unfortunately, they can’t really sustain contact. They get symptomatic and in some cases they have to leave the sport.”
The study examined data from 145 hockey players, both male and female, ages 13 to 18, who visited three sports-medicine clinics with concussions. Concussion symptoms included signs such as headache, dizziness, difficulty concentrating and disrupted sleep. The players were also asked about their puberty development, using a validated self-assessment rating scale that involved questions such as whether their voice had started deepening for boys, and whether they had begun to menstruate for girls.
Among the 101 male participants, those in the “early” puberty category reported concussion symptoms that lasted longer. Heavier male players were less likely to experience prolonged symptoms. Unexpectedly, among the 44 female participants, heavier players had a higher risk of longer-lasting symptoms, though the researchers noted this result “may have more statistical than clinical significance.”
One of the limitations of the study was that roughly 44 per cent of the participants visited one of the three clinics within the first 10 days of their injury, Kriz says, noting the delay in seeing a clinic doctor may have affected the recovery times of the rest of the players. This delay, however, is common for patients seeking treatment at specialized clinics, he says.
Over all, the findings support growing concern that it may take longer for adolescent athletes to recover from concussions than adults.
Questions about whether to ban or delay the introduction of physical contact have been subject to much debate in youth hockey, as growing research points to the prevalence and health consequences of concussions in contact sports.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against bodychecking before the age of 15, and recommends youth hockey organizations expand their non-checking program. In their study, Kriz and his fellow researchers support this latter recommendation.
“I’m all for endorsing proper bodychecking technique, and kids need to learn that. That’s a point of emphasis here, no question,” Kriz says. But, he notes, they need to be learning with peers at the same relative age. “They shouldn’t be learning how to bodycheck when they’re playing in a game against someone three or four years older. That’s probably going to be a set-up for failure and injury.”
Read more: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/hea ... e28254575/
Original Study: Physical Maturity and Concussion Symptom Duration among Adolescent Ice Hockey Players
Read more: http://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476 ... 4/abstract
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
Collision Sports (football)
Collision Sports
"The kids are getting bigger and faster, so the concussions, the severe spinal cord injuries, are only going to get worse. It’s a tough pill to swallow because I love the game of football. But I tell parents, you can have the right helmet, the perfect pads on, and still end up with a paraplegic kid.
"There’s no correcting it. There’s no helmet that’s going to correct it. There’s no teaching that’s going to correct it. It just comes down to it’s a physically violent game. Football players are in a car wreck every week."
Antwaan Randle El Says the NFL's Concussion Crusus Can't Be Solved
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/antwaan- ... ved-2016-1
From 10 to Ben:
Read entire feature: http://newsinteractive.post-gazette.com ... ndexm.html
"The kids are getting bigger and faster, so the concussions, the severe spinal cord injuries, are only going to get worse. It’s a tough pill to swallow because I love the game of football. But I tell parents, you can have the right helmet, the perfect pads on, and still end up with a paraplegic kid.
"There’s no correcting it. There’s no helmet that’s going to correct it. There’s no teaching that’s going to correct it. It just comes down to it’s a physically violent game. Football players are in a car wreck every week."
Antwaan Randle El Says the NFL's Concussion Crusus Can't Be Solved
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/antwaan- ... ved-2016-1
From 10 to Ben:
Read entire feature: http://newsinteractive.post-gazette.com ... ndexm.html
-
greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
collegehockeynews
"How can we know for sure that head trauma causes CTE?" may be a reasonable counter-argument at this point. Well, first, by common sense alone, we can at least infer that head trauma doesn't do any good, per se, for the long term neurologic function of athletes. But science isn't perfect. The reality is that there is plenty of uncertainty, especially in medicine, and that can be frustrating for anyone who wants the collective knowledge about pathology, or clinical decisions, to be straightforward.
What we do know is that CTE has been demonstrated in former football players, former hockey players, and even military veterans — in a greater proportion than what we would expect in the general population.
The two — head trauma and CTE — are correlated, and the issue of causation is an active area of investigation. But based in large part on research done by the CTE Center at Boston University, our collective understanding of the disease process is expanding, as is the understanding of the long term effects of repetitive head trauma in general.
A group of researchers led by Dartmouth Medical School's Dr. T.W. McAllister published results in Neurology (the official journal of the American Academy of Neurology) in 2013 showing that contact sport athletes performed significantly more poorly on postseason learning measurements compared to non-contact athletes. That study included hockey players at Dartmouth, as well as at Brown.
...CTE, after all, isn't a fad like the latest diet trend. It's a real problem that seems to be associated with even minor repetitive head trauma, and high-intensity intentional trauma to the head certainly doesn't reduce the risk of developing CTE.
So what, exactly, are we waiting for? Even when the Surgeon General in 1964 first reported a probable correlation (not causation) between smoking and cardiovascular disease, tobacco companies were required to issue health warnings before further research clarified the issue."
Read more: http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2 ... minate.php
"Repeated blows to the head during a season on contact sports may cause changes in the brain's white matter and affect cognitive abilities even if none of the impacts resulted in a concussion."
Read more about the study:
Nonconcussion Head Impacts in Contact Sports Linked to Brain Changes and Lower Test Scores
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 185554.htm
What we do know is that CTE has been demonstrated in former football players, former hockey players, and even military veterans — in a greater proportion than what we would expect in the general population.
The two — head trauma and CTE — are correlated, and the issue of causation is an active area of investigation. But based in large part on research done by the CTE Center at Boston University, our collective understanding of the disease process is expanding, as is the understanding of the long term effects of repetitive head trauma in general.
A group of researchers led by Dartmouth Medical School's Dr. T.W. McAllister published results in Neurology (the official journal of the American Academy of Neurology) in 2013 showing that contact sport athletes performed significantly more poorly on postseason learning measurements compared to non-contact athletes. That study included hockey players at Dartmouth, as well as at Brown.
...CTE, after all, isn't a fad like the latest diet trend. It's a real problem that seems to be associated with even minor repetitive head trauma, and high-intensity intentional trauma to the head certainly doesn't reduce the risk of developing CTE.
So what, exactly, are we waiting for? Even when the Surgeon General in 1964 first reported a probable correlation (not causation) between smoking and cardiovascular disease, tobacco companies were required to issue health warnings before further research clarified the issue."
Read more: http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2 ... minate.php
"Repeated blows to the head during a season on contact sports may cause changes in the brain's white matter and affect cognitive abilities even if none of the impacts resulted in a concussion."
Read more about the study:
Nonconcussion Head Impacts in Contact Sports Linked to Brain Changes and Lower Test Scores
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 185554.htm
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
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greybeard58
- Posts: 2569
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:40 pm
even in tennis
Eugene Bouchard
"Concussions are rare in tennis, so Bouchard followed protocols used by hockey and football players.
“Experiencing this, I can’t imagine what it would be like to be a football or hockey player,” she said. “Experiencing that, and then going right back out where easily it could happen again? Knock on wood, but hopefully this will never happen to me again.”
Eugenie Bouchard Exits Knowing a Full Comeback Will Take Time -
Read more: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/01/21/sp ... oogle.com/
"Concussions are rare in tennis, so Bouchard followed protocols used by hockey and football players.
“Experiencing this, I can’t imagine what it would be like to be a football or hockey player,” she said. “Experiencing that, and then going right back out where easily it could happen again? Knock on wood, but hopefully this will never happen to me again.”
Eugenie Bouchard Exits Knowing a Full Comeback Will Take Time -
Read more: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/01/21/sp ... oogle.com/