When Zackery Lystedt was “returned to play” after sustaining a first concussion, and then sustained a second (second-impact syndrome,) he would never be the same again. After being airlifted to a major medical facility in Seattle, this athlete woke to his new life as a brain injured individual: he could not walk, he could not speak, he could swallow—the star athlete of his football team would not walk more than twenty-steps until he turned eighteen-years of age (Washingtonjustice, 2014). It was not until the Zackery Lystedt law, did this idea become “controversial.” Since its implementation in Washington State, fueled much by the NFL--every state in the United States has adopted this version of the law, completed in 2010 (Adler & Giersch, 2014). Furthermore, if there is a suspicion of Head Injury, parents and coaches cannot return them to play (BIAWA, 2015). In WA only licensed practitioners trained in Brain Injury have the authority to return this child to play because if they suffer a second head injury after the first, they could die (BIAWA, …show more content…
A concussion is a Brain Injury, it is not a bruise in the brain or bump, but a Brain Injury, which causes death of brain cells, decreased glucose needed for repair and nearly a fifty percent blood loss flow to the brain (BIAWA, 2015). As such, their ability to cognitively make decisions has now become impaired (McAvory, 2014). Furthermore, these side effects could be present three-weeks or longer, and will heal, if treated properly (McAvory, 2014). Doctor Stan Herring, Team Physician for The Seattle Seahawks and Mariners and personal physician of Zackery Lystedt, stated in his speech during the Washington Wenatchee Concussion Summit that you should never ask a child how they are feeling, in which they would most likely respond with, “Fine.” Instead, he encourages you to ask them “Yes” or “No”
Smith, Rodney(2013).. Thomas Jefferson Law Review, Vol.35(2), 127-191 Solving the Concussion Problem and Saving Professional Football
Most players just want to get back in the game. The average concussion recovery time is about 1-2 weeks. When you get a concussion you can not do any physical activity. After you do not do any activities you can do slight activities, if you get oked by the doctor at your checkup. When you do go in the activity stage then you can keep up the activities as long as you do not get any headaches. At the next checkup the doctor will see if you can go into practice with contact. All these steps if you get headaches then the player will have to tell doctor about it. If you do not have any problems then you can go into games, what the player has waited for through the whole recovery.
If you have the brains when you start, you are aware that banging your head into people is not the best thing for your body,” stated Chris Cooley, tight end and a 2 time Pro Bowler with the Washington Redskins (Do No Harm, 2). Research over the years has gathered extensive data on the mental and physical illnesses of retired NFL football players. It has proved that players who accumulate numerous concussions are at a higher risk of health problems after their football career than players who’ve sustained fewer. This data is proven by various studies that have caused worry for many retired NFL football families. The examples of deaths resulting from past concussions are astonishing, and the stats that show high risks for the possible problems can prove why they possibly died. Countless retired players are now frightened by the potential hazard of destructive health problems.
At the snap of the ball a whole players world could come crashing down. The game of football holds a whooping 47% of all concussions reported in the world, while ice hockey and soccer trail behind. Football is America’s sport and its athletes become the world’s pride and joy, but what happens when an athlete is injured and is struggling to mentally get better. This topic hits close to home for me because it was the one sport my family praised and adored. My older brother who is now twenty five, played highschool football for the Laconia Sachems. Just the name Sachems is enough to make me get the chills. In 2007 the Laconia Sachems the only undefeated team to go on to win the New Hampshire state championship saw success, but my brother went
Athletes are one of the most highly paid professions, and with that comes a great responsibility to everyone but themselves, even it means putting their lives, and others around them at risk. A football player’s goal is to entertain the fans that tune in to watch them, however their only job is to win their games, and untimely a Super Bowl Championship, but not for themselves, for the franchise that owns them and their bodies. As long as they can run a play and take a hit foot players are gold to their employers, or if you will their owners. “Toughing it out, turns out, can kill people.” (Diaz Truman, M 2013), and cause irreversible brain damage to football players. Continuing to ignore evidence that supports the growing concern of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and how it relates to the NFL players is troubling because of the long term affects it has on a player’s mental s...
That’s where the advancements in concussion detection and treatment comes into play. According to the article “Advancements in Concussion Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment” the writer states “the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 207,830 trips to an emergency room annually between 2001 and 2005 due to sports participation injuries” ( “Advancements in Concussion Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment | The Sport Journal” ). The report from the CDC shows how many reported sports injuries occur in a short period. However, this does not include the vast number of injuries not reported every year. That is a lot of injuries that go unreported and not cared for. We can help make it to where all kids after a concussion report it and get treated by educating them on the dangers they face if they continue to play as they are and tell them they will be right back to playing after the testing has been completed and they are clear to play again. This is not hard to do it’s just the fact of telling the kids the truth of the matter and them knowing the tests aren’t hard and don’t take long to pass. But the kids need to know this is needed if they want to be able to play for years to come in school and even in
...ey should contact emergency services immediately. One should also rest a lot when they have a concussion. One may have to sit out for longer than expected, but that is because one’s brain needs time to heal physically and mentally. The worst thing one can do while they are suffering from a concussion is go out and start participating in sports or other activities when their brain has not yet healed from the last concussion they have had.
According to The Mayo Clinic, “the most common symptoms of a concussion are headache or pressure in the head, confusion or feeling foggy, appearing dazed, fatigue and delayed response to questions.”
Football is America’s favorite sport. It is a fast-paced, hard-hitting game. Every week thousands of men and boys all across the country take part in football and every week these men and boys receive violent hits during the game. Frequently, as a result of these violent hits, the player receives a concussion. However, the long-term effects of concussions on players are not fully understood. New research shows that even a slight concussion in a football game can have lasting effects on a player. As a result of this research, children under the age of fourteen should not play tackle football.
The number of children below the age of 19 are treated in American emergency rooms for concussions and other traumatic brain injuries increased from 150,000 in 2001 to 250,000 in 2009. That’s not cumulative, that is actually per year. Everyone should know how and when to treat a concussion, no matter if it is for sports or in general. Concussions can come from anything. Concussions can be an easily preventable injury, however due to poor equipment, a competitive mindset, unrecognizable symptoms, and untrained sports physicians, they are becoming quite common and can lead to potentially fatal brain disorders.
Brady, Erik. “Changing the Game on Youth Concussions.” USA Today 26 May 2011, Virginia ed.: 1C. Print.
Many people do not understand that a concussion does not simply go away in a few days, it can last up to a couple months. "Most concussions and other mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) should completely resolve within one to six weeks. Some people, however, experience post-concussion syndrome (PCS) with symptoms lasting longer than this. Post-concussion syndrome can include physical, cognitive, and emotional problems” (Cornell). Most brain injuries take one to six weeks to heal. Although, some people suffer from post-concussion syndrome, this is where the symptoms last a bit longer. Concussions usually aren’t crazily severe but, when they are these injuries can be easily mistaken by other severe brain injuries. "Long-term effects of concussions are very rare. Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause symptoms similar to a concussion, but individuals with these TBIs often experience more severe problems with attention and short-term memory, have difficulty performing daily tasks, and report feeling “slower” overall” (Cornell). Even though long-term effects are rather rare they can still occur. Furthermore, concussions can sometimes get confused with severe traumatic brain injuries because, they often have the same symptoms. Long-term concussions can affect the brain and make it difficult to
Concussions are an injury that falls under the Traumatic Brain Injury category. A concussion occurs when a force causes the brain to rock back and forth inside the skull, and hit the interior walls of the skull. When this happens it can result in bruising on two parts of the brain, the Coup and the Countercoup. This may result in Loss of consciousness, confusion, headaches, nausea or vomiting, blurred vision, and loss of short-term memory. I know from experience the nausea and blurred vision. I noticed that during what I thought was a concussion though after the initial hits my ears would ring and give me very painful headaches.
Through sports or through everyday life, concussions tend to happen. An estimated 300 000 sport-related traumatic brain injuries, predominantly concussions, occur annually in the United States. Sports are second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of traumatic brain injury among people aged 15 to 24 years. (U.S National Library of Medicine). Coaches and parents often do not go through the right procedures or protocols when dealing with a teenager who has received a blow to the head. The usual questions that are asked when there is a head injury are, “what day is it, what’s the score, and how many fingers am I holding up?” Now these are not poor questions, but these questions alone cannot determine if a person has suffered a concussion. The correct method, which they are now implementing in most professional sports leagues, is for anyone with a head injury to take a legitimate concussion test performed by the team doctor. (WebbMD) At present the symptoms can be hit or miss. After receiving a concussion, research shows that an “estimated 80 to 90% of concussions heal spontaneously in the first 7 to 10 days”. (Barton Straus) But, it is important to remember not to return until all symptoms are
Many memories are made in football, but sadly some of the greatest players cannot recall them. The National Football League has been associated with concussions and brain traumas throughout the years, but lately it has been exposed by media and NFL veterans. The league recently “reached a $765 million preliminary settlement with thousands of former players who were suing the league over its treatment of concussions…” (Waldron). Many former players are experiencing the effects of taking hard hits over and over again; they were not properly treated, which makes the injury worse and long term. The concussion issue in the NFL is more prevalent today, because it affects not only the players, but the league as a whole.