Optimized Living: sports injuries

Showing posts with label sports injuries. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Concussions, The Silent Epidemic In Sports

It's another Friday night under the lights, and just like every other high school football team in America, the Tipton Cardinals are trying to win another game. But this game was special, it's the first round of the Missouri state playoffs. It's a chilly Halloween night as Chad Stover, a 16 year-old defensive back, leads the Tipton Cardinals on the field to stop their opponent. In the third quarter Tipton is trailing Sacred Heart 27-18. Sacred Heart has the ball and is looking to score again. The ball is snapped and the running back takes the hand-off. Chad Stover zeros in on the running back and goes in for the tackle. As Chad collides with the running back, his head violently strikes the running backs thigh. That was the last tackle that Chad Stover would ever make.

Chad managed to make it to the sidelines, but something wasn't right. Twice his coach asked if he was okay. Chad said he was and went back into the game. In the huddle he told his teammates, "Somethings wrong." Chad's legs went weak and he collapsed on the field. His parents watched in horror from the bleachers. In the state of Missouri, or any of the 50 states for that matter, it is not required by law for an ambulance to be present at a high school football game. 911 was called, and shortly arrived to tend to Chad. He was placed on a stretcher and life-flighted to near-by Columbia University Hospital. Chad had sustained a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) comparable to a motor vehicle collision. He would remain on life support for two weeks until he passed on November 12, 2013 with his family by his side.

Head injuries in sports has become a serious topic of discussion in recent years. In a court filing made public on September 12 the NFL estimates that nearly one-third of former players will develop dementia, Alzheimer's disease or other neurological disorders like Parkinson's and ALS. These statistics are a stark contrast to the NFL's position for years that there was no risk of neurological disorders after a career of taking blows to the head.

A recent study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association followed 25 college football players with no formal concussion history and found that the players had significantly less than normal volume in the hippocampus, the region of the brain that is in charge of memory. In another study conducted by the University of Rochester, researchers found a significant decrease in white matter in the brains of college football players who were relatively concussion free.

If you think that just college and NFL players are at risk of head injuries because they have more violent collisions, then think again. Children are at much greater risk of sustaining head injuries then adults because their brains are still developing. Virgina Tech's biomedical-engineering department tracked 19 boys ages 7 and 8 during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. The researchers counted 3,061 blows to the heads of the boys, 60% of which occurred in practice. None of the boys sustained a concussion, but the hits were violent nonetheless. 11 of the hits registered a g-force of 80 or greater, which is what you would see in a motor vehicle collision.

In light of the shocking research that has been released, many parents are thinking twice before letting their sons or daughters play collision sports. From 2007 to 2013, tackle football participation has fallen 26.5% among U.S. kids ages 6 to 12, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

What is a Concussion?

So what is a concussion? A concussion occurs when their is trauma to the head, neck, or body that results in damage to the brain. When the body sustains a violent blow, the brain is shaken inside the cranium. The brain has billions of nerve cells and some of them may be injured or even broken when the head or body takes a hit.

Signs and Symptoms of a Concussion

It is important for everyone to know and understand the signs and symptoms of a concussion, including the athlete, the coaches, and the parents. Here are some of the signs and symptoms of a concussion.

Loss of consciousness	Seizure or convulsion	Balance problems	Nausea or vomiting	Drowsiness
More Emotional	Irritability	Sadness	Fatigue or low energy	Nervous or anxious
"Don't feel right"	difficulty remembering	headache	Dizziness	Confusion
Feeling Slowed down	"Pressure in head"	Blurred vision	Sensitivity to light	Amnesia

Concussion Treatment

Whenever a concussion is suspected in an individual it is important to have a trained provider perform a thorough orthopedic and neurological exam of the head and neck to determine the extend of the injury. The best treatment for a concussion is physical and cognitive rest. This means no physical or mental exertion until the signs and symptoms of the concussion have subsided. The individual should slowly return to their normal activities as their symptoms decrease, but if their symptoms worsen they should return to their previous level of activity where they had no symptoms.

Return to Play Protocol

Rest until signs and symptoms go away.
- Must remain symptom free at each step.
- Minimum of 1 day at each step.
Light aerobic activity
Sports specific activity and training
Non-contact training drills
Full contact training drills
Competition

7 Tips to Concussion Prevention

It is important to understand that as long as you or your child are involved in a contact sport, you are at risk of getting a concussion. No helmet or piece of equipment can fully prevent a concussion, but there are some steps that you can follow to reduce the risk of a concussion.

Educating the athletes, coaches and parents on the signs and symptoms of a concussion.
Base-line concussion testing of all athletes in the pre-season.
Proper training and technique on how to tackle and take a hit.
Proper equipment.
Stricter rules that punish unnecessary roughness.
Proper strength training, especially of the neck.
When in doubt, hold them out.

We live in a dangerous world. Whether we are walking down the street, driving down the road, or playing a contact sport, there will always be inherent risk. Hopefully as doctors and scientist continue to do research and learn more about concussions, we will be able to find a middle ground of preventing concussions and enjoying some of our favorite sports. Until that time, educate yourself on concussions, play safe, and when in doubt, sit them out.

1. Gregory, Sean. "The Tragic Risks Of An American Obsession." Time. September 2014: 32-39. Print

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Movement, The Medicine For Life

As a chiropractor, most people think that I am just concerned with the condition of the spine. This is true, but there is so much more that I focus on with my patients. If I could choose an alternate title for my profession, it would be, "Doctor of human movement as it pertains to health". After all, movement is one of the key elements that makes us living creatures.

Our bodies are designed to move, a lot. All of our joints and muscles have special nerve endings, called proprioceptors, that are stimulated by movement. When these nerve endings are stimulated, they release a chemical that has the ability to override pain.

In our Western Civilization many people live very sedentary lives. If you think about it, most people wake up, get ready for work, and they "SIT" in their car for their commute to work. Then they "SIT" for 8 hours at a desk job. After work they "SIT" again on their drive home. Finally, they "SIT" on the couch while watching their favorite TV shows before they go to bed. The average American is sitting for 10 hours or more during the day. As a nation we are suffering from a disease I like to call hypomovementitis, which is caused by a deficiency in vitamin M, (movement).

I am writing about this jokingly, but this is a very serious matter. Our sedentary lifestyles are the root cause of many chronic diseases, (high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, etc.) that cost individuals and this country billions of dollars every year. The United States spends more money on "sick-care" than any other country in the world. Just imagine what we could do as individuals and a nation if we saved billions of dollars a year on managing chronic diseases.

Every day I see the results of a lack of movement in patients in my practice. My focus is more on correcting the negative musculoskeletal side effects, but I know that if I can get my patients moving more, then it is going to have positive effects systemically. To learn more about the adverse health effects from lack of movement, please read my article, "Death by Sitting".

When the human body is faced with outside stresses it will make adaptations, this is my approach to this issue. I don't propose that we should try to change all of Western Civilization, simply make adaptations to better cope with the stress that we face each day. I would never tell someone to quit their job because they sit at a desk all day. They just need to find a way to adapt to that physical stress. I encourage my patients to, "engineer movement" into their daily lives. Just like anything that is important to us, we have to make a concerted effort to develop good habits. Here are 7 tips to engineer movement into your life.

Ride a bike to work.
If you have to drive to work, park farther away so that you have to walk.
Take the stairs.
Instead of sitting in a chair, have a standing work station or sit on a exercise ball.
Take a 5 min break every hour to stand up and walk around to improve blood flow.
Do a set of 10 back extension stretches to take the stress off your low back.
Do Wall Angel exercises to pull your shoulders back.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Please take a minute to visit my social media sites.

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Thanks for reading. If you would like to learn more about other services that I offer, please contact the office.

In Health,

Brian C. Burnett, D.C., M.S.
Chiropractic Physician
Brian Burnett Chiropractic, PL
1108 Hays St. Tallahassee, FL
O: 850-222-5362

Monday, July 7, 2014

Heat Illness Prevention

Here in Florida, we know a thing or two about hot weather. It's early July, and the summer heat is in full swing. Heat illness is a serious condition that can affect any individual, especially athletes who are training out in the heat. If you are a coach or athlete, please familiarize yourself with the dangers of heat illness.

What is Heat Illness?
Heat illnesses occur when someone is exposed to extreme temperatures and the body is unable to cool itself off. There are several factors that can lead to heat illness:

Exercise duration
Fitness level
Humidity
Age
Being overweight
Hydration

There are four (4) classifications of heat illness.

Heat rash
Heat cramps
Heat exhaustion
Heat stroke

Signs of Heat Illness
The signs and symptoms of heat illness vary in severity, but can escalate very rapidly and quickly become life threatening.

Heat Rash is a skin irritation caused by excessive sweating and is the least serious heat illness.

Heat Cramps are painful muscle spasms, usually in the calves or leg muscles, caused by depleted electrolytes from excessive sweating. Many athletes have experienced heat cramps at some point in their career and know how it can quickly limit their performance.

Heat Exhaustion is not life threatening, but can quickly escalate into heat stroke, which is deadly, if not treated.

Excessive sweating
Weakness
Cold, pale, clammy skin
Fast, weak pulse
Nausea or vomiting
Fainting

Heat stroke should be considered a life threatening condition, and medical attention should be sought immediately.

Body temperature above 103 degrees (F)
Hot, red, dry or moist skin
Rapid and strong pulse
Possible unconsciousness.

Heat Illness Prevention
The key to preventing heat illness is to educate yourself on the signs, and know how to respond accordingly. It is also important to understand that a mild heat illness can quickly become a life threatening situation.

If someone is exhibiting the signs of heat exhaustion, follow these steps.

Move to a cooler location, in the shade or indoors.
Lie down and loosen clothing.
Apply cool, wet towels to your skin.
Sip water
If you have vomited and symptoms continue, seek medical attention.

If someone is showing signs of heat stroke, follow these steps.

Call 911 immediately.
Move to a cool, shaded location.
Reduce the body temperature with cool, wet towels or a bath.
DO NOT GIVE FLUIDS.

It is important to understand that if you are exercising outside in the heat, you can become dehydrated and develop a heat illness faster. Follow these steps when exercising outside in the heat.

Exercise in the morning or late afternoon when the temperature is cooler.
Pace your workout allowing for plenty of warm-up and cool down time.
Wear loose, light clothing.
Avoid eating heavy meals prior to exercising outside.
Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after exercising outside.
Monitor yourself for signs of heat illness. If you begin to develop signs of heat illness, seek medical attention.