Category: Concussion

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Michigan schools try out gold standard of concussion tests

 

Details of the block that knocked Ian Rice to the turf are fuzzy for him now. He remembers falling over. He remembers he couldn’t walk. That was the first sign something was seriously wrong.

His father, watching his son and his Birmingham Groves High School football team from the stands, remembers a little more.

“You’re taught to bounce up and get going, but he didn’t bounce and as soon as a guy doesn’t get up like you’re used to, my heart skipped,” Michael Rice said.

Rice suffered a concussion that sent him to the emergency room last fall, and he sat out the next two games in what turned out to be a 7-4 season. As a defensive captain for a team that was a preseason favorite to win its conference, Rice had every reason to want to return for his senior year.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound middle linebacker — and his parents — also had cause to worry because of the concussion.

His story is one that plays out for thousands of athletes on thousands of high school sports teams across the country. What’s different is that Birmingham Groves is one of 62 Michigan high schools participating in a unique pilot program that does baseline testing of athletes in football and other sports to help with concussion diagnosis.

Baseline testing — a combination of memory, reaction time, attention and stress assessments — is done in major pro sports because it is considered an objective and individualized tool to help decide whether to remove an athlete from a game. The NCAA recommends baseline testing of all college athletes. While all states have laws that address preventing concussions in youth sports, many are weak and none require baseline testing.

Schools typically don’t argue with the benefit of testing, but cash-strapped districts often say the cost of offering such programs is prohibitive. Michigan found the seed money to make it happen this year, taking $10,000 primarily from playoff gate profits.

“The schools that are engaged in the pilot program are learning more about sideline detection and making smarter removal-from-play decisions, ” said Jack Roberts, Michigan High School Athletic Association executive director. “We know they are removing players at a higher rate than schools who are not involved in our pilot programs.”

Health and safety advocates fear concussions often go undetected in high schools because of inconsistent protocols at districts unwilling or unable to spend money for detection. It’s often on players to self-report concussions, or on coaches, who have many responsibilities and sometimes little training, to recognize symptoms.

The National Federation of State High School Associations says the only state association doing anything similar to Michigan is Mississippi, though that program covers far fewer schools and only football.

Many sideline concussion-testing programs are on the market at different price points. Michigan is testing the Illinois-based King-Devick Test affiliated with the Mayo Clinic and Maryland-based XLNTbrain Sport. The association provides them for free to the schools this year and next. Long term, Roberts thinks the association could fund it in part with a $3 to $5 fee per student.

The association expects to spend $20,000 next year to continue the program, Roberts said. He would like to see legislators assist, especially for poorer school districts, but the association is also working to get grants.

Steven Broglio, associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and director of itsNeuroTrauma Research Laboratory, co-authored a study that recommends such protocols at schools. It also urges hiring full-time athletic trainers to attend games and practices, something also recommended recently by theAmerican Academy of Pediatrics.

He supports the school’s efforts, but with caution about the program’s ability to be widely applied.

“I’m a little concerned that they’re saying here’s a package that a coach, parent, anybody can use and that that’s good enough,” Broglio said. “Coaches are there to coach the team. They’re not necessarily there to manage medical injuries or medical conditions. Parents may or may not have the training depending on what their background is. ”

The school in the Detroit suburb of Beverly Hills employs a full-time athletic trainer. Nationwide, just one-third of high schools have one, Broglio said.

Birmingham Groves athletic trainer Kelly Salter spent about seven hours in August giving baseline tests to about 140 fall athletes in boys’ football and soccer and girls’ volleyball and cheerleading.

Baselines were determined during 30-minute sessions at computers set up in a classroom. The tests measure reaction time, attention, memory and stress by completing a series of exercises that involve such things as word recognition.

Athletes suspected of a head injury undergo a sideline assessment done in about five minutes with an iPhone or tablet app. It assesses memory by providing words for the athlete to remember. It asks questions that require the athlete to recall the hit. The athletes also hold the phone as they stand tandem for 20 seconds with eyes open and then closed to check balance.

That assessment is compared to the athlete’s baseline data to help determine whether they can return to play.

Salter was on the sideline for the second game of this season when Rice, back for his senior year, left the game and went to her after taking a blow to the head from the opponent’s fullback.

“I just told her I think I got a neck stinger and a little concussion,” Rice said. “We have an end zone camera, which you can see it really clearly where his head snaps my head back. I could tell immediately that something was up so I just went off.”

She administered the sideline test — including a memory assessment that can be done with an iPad or iPhone — measured it against his baseline and removed him from the game. He was able to play the next week after being cleared by his doctor.

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Rice was able to finish the season without another concussion, his father watching nervously from the stands for every game with one eye on the play and the other firmly on his son. They revisited the conversation about whether he should be on the field.

“He’s 17 and I don’t think I would deny him his ability to play,” Michael Rice said. “I would never do that, but we talk very directly about risk and reward.”

Ian helped lead the team to the conference championship and its first undefeated regular season since 1978. And that may be the end of football for him — he’s thinking about trying to be a walk-on, but more focused on getting a business degree.

Although it led to many anxious moments, Michael Rice said he was glad he didn’t interfere with his son’s desire to play.

“Was the risk worth the reward, absolutely,” he said. “I watched my son grow into a fine young man.”

Meanwhile, Roberts and the association will continue to press ahead on the funding puzzle and hopefully create a model for other states.

“I think some of the other states think we’re nuts, that this was a project that they didn’t need to undertake,” Roberts said. “We just thought it was important.”

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/education/article/Michigan-schools-try-out-gold-standard-of-6716902.php#photo-9152709

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U of Indy Athletic Trainer details concussion protocol

“I was going to make a tackle, and I just blacked out,” he said.

This was Bryant’s most recent concussion, and he says he has had about three or four since he started college. Bryant is not the only college athlete who has had to deal with concussions. According to concussiontreatment.com, the Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1.6 million to 3.8 million concussions occur each year, and five to 10 percent of athletes will become concussed in any given sport season.

Graphic by Melvin Mendez

Graphic by Melvin Mendez

Head Athletic Trainer Ned Shannon oversees the health care that student athletes receive at the University of Indianapolis. According to Shannon, a concussion can be defined as a transient impairment of neurological function. In other words, it is a brain injury. Shannon said that while there are many definitions for a concussion, the one aspect that each definition agrees on is that the injury is usually not permanent and is caused by blunt force trauma.

According to Shannon, a concussion can result in a loss of consciousness, but that is rare in sports.

“You have this protective equipment,” Shannon said. “You’ve got things like rules in the game that prevent injury. Then you’ve got things like good coaching that teach you not to hit your head on something. So injuries that don’t result in loss of consciousness are typically what are seen in athletics.”

According to Shannon, every NCAA college is required to have a concussion protocol. Shannon said that at UIndy, if an athlete is injured during  a game or practice, he or she is pulled out of the situation.

A sideline evaluation is done that will give the trainer an idea of how severe the concussion may be.  After it is determined that the athlete does have symptoms of a concussion, the four-stage concussion protocol begins.

According to Shannon, the first stage involves pulling the athlete out of all activity in order to monitor him or her while he or she is symptomatic. Symptoms of a concussion include problems with memory, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, double or blurred vision,  headaches,  nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to noise or light, balance problems and slowed reaction to stimuli, according to healthline.com.

Once an athlete’s symptoms are documented, he or she must take a neurocognitive test called Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing. When student athletes arrive at UIndy, before they begin training, Shannon said they all are required to take ImPACT. The test asks students questions such as their name and the sport they play, as well as symptom questions such as whether or not the student has a headache.

Shannon said that once the student is concussed, he or she will take a post-ImPACT test to monitor his or her symptoms and improvement. The test usually is taken within a day or so after the concussion occurs, Shannon said. The concussed student also will visit with the team physician from the Methodist Sports Medicine Center. The team physician will conduct his or her own evaluation with the student as well, Shannon said.

During stage one, Shannon said that the concussed athlete may not go to class and will be asked to limit his or her texting, time on the computer and time spent playing video games, as these activities require the brain to work while it is injured. Shannon said a lot of athletes ask how long it will take for them to be well enough to return to practice or competition, but Shannon said there is no set timeline.

“Every concussion is different,”  he said. “We’ve had some athletes come back [in] as few days as seven or eight days, and we’ve had some athletes be out [for] months from typically the same level of concussion. It just depends on how the person heals.”

Stage two begins when the athlete is no longer showing symptoms. He or she can return to class, do homework, text and get back to his or her regular routine. From the athletic perspective, the athlete will take an exertion test. Shannon said this means he or she either will run on the track, get on a treadmill or ride the stationary bicycle for about 10 minutes to increase blood pressure, heart rate and breathing rate. Shannon said this test is necessary because it is possible that symptoms will come back during this process. If the symptoms of a concussion do come back during exercise, Shannon said that simply means the brain is not completely healed yet. Once the athlete is able to take the test without the symptoms returning, he or she can move on to stage three.

During stage three, with the team physician’s approval, the athlete can go back to some level of practice and participate in portions where they will not be hit. Shannon said the student will not be required to wear extra protective gear or be limited in any way at this stage.

Stage four is the final stage, when the athlete can go back to full activity and full competition, with the physician’s approval.

Shannon said that while trainers and coaches watch out for injuries, it is also the responsibility of the athlete to report if something is wrong. According to Shannon, all athletes are required to sign a document stating that they will report to someone in authority if they think they have sustained a concussion because the health risks can be major.

“One of the biggest concerns of parents, athletic trainers and sports physicians is athletes who underreport, meaning they don’t say anything about their concussion, [and] they continue to participate and they get hit again. … Now that seemingly mild concussion, if there is such a thing, becomes a much more significant problem,” Shannon said. “You might end up with more significant symptoms, longer time away from sports, hospitalization—so there’s some very, very serious effects if you withhold that information, and you [get] injure[d] again.”

Shannon said that an athlete will go through the stages even if the injury that caused the concussion did not happen during practice or a competition. For example, if an athlete is concussed by slipping on the ice while walking across campus, he or she still has to go through the four stages. There is not a quota of concussions a student must not hit in order to play sports, but Shannon said that some athletes choose not to participate after receiving a frequent number of concussions.

Bryant said he had to go through all four of the stages after receiving his concussion. And while he said it was a lot of work to get back to playing football, he agrees with the process.

“I think they go about it pretty well,” he said. “And they don’t rush you back too fast. … Some coaches [outside of UIndy] ignore the fact that you have a concussion, and they just let you stay in the game.”

Shannon said that the Greyhound coaches are diligent about following the protocol and put athletes’ health above the game.

“There’s very little pressure,  if any at all, from coaches to athletes to return to play faster. … Our coaches do an outstanding job at participating with the return to play of the athletes safely,” he said.

Bryant said he believes athletes should follow this example and take care of themselves by letting someone know if they are concussed.

“I would just tell them [athletes] to let somebody know,” Bryant said. “Don’t be afraid to make people aware of your situation because you want to stay in the game. You’re not helping yourself, or you’re not helping your team. It’s not that big of a deal to stay out of a game [rather] than risk your health like that.”

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://reflector.uindy.edu/2015/12/16/concussion-protocol-monitors-uindy-athletes/

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Michigan High Schools Collect Concussion Data

Northern Michigan’s News Leader
Head injuries in sports can often lead to concussions — which can mean time on the bench for players.

But a new statewide data collection protocol aims to help improve the safety of high school sports.

For the first time, the MHSAA has requested schools to report possible concussions in student athletes.

They want to collect data to learn how to help curb the problem.

“For us we see football, girls and boys soccer and hockey being our highest risk sports,” said Petoskey High School Athletic Trainer Stephanie Kanine.

Preliminary data from the fall season shows two percent of more than 100,000 high school athletes had concussions.

An average of 3.2 concussions per school, according to the MHSAA report.

“If I’m flagged by anything then they’re out of play, no questions. And we go from there.”

Football had 79 percent of all concussions reported for the season, and boys’ soccer had 11 percent.

Athletes go through a five-step process after getting a head injury.

“I give them a series of words, tell them to repeat them, then throughout our conversation I’ll say ‘Do you remember those words I told you?’” said Kanine. “To see if they can make new memories.”

Trainers look for symptoms like headaches, light sensitivity and dizziness.

Recovering concussed athletes take 24 hours between steps, ranging from ‘no activity’ to ‘full contact.’

For trainers and athletic directors, the data collection will open doors down the road.“We’ll see trends and be able to work together. Coaches, athletic trainers, administrators will all be able to work together and see the different risks.”

“It may lead to more advanced technology in the protection devices like you see soccer has trended to a mini type of helmet to protect heads,” said Rich Giddens. “Or more development of football helmets, hockey helmets, those types of things.”The MHSAA will provide a full breakdown of concussion data — including gender, sport, team level and setting — after the spring 2016 season.

ORiGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.9and10news.com/story/30738374/mhsaa-starts-collecting-high-school-athlete-concussion-data

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New Mexico Judge has poor opinion of athletic trainers

The judge in the Shawn Nieto concussion case on Thursday strongly disputed comments by both Rio Rancho Public Schools and the New Mexico Activities Association regarding last week’s hearing on whether Nieto should be allowed to play in last Saturday’s state high school football championship.

District Judge Alan Malott, in a letter to the Journal, said there were “at least two glaring falsehoods” regarding information that appeared in a Thursday morning story about Nieto, the Cleveland High School running back whose eligibility to play in the Class 6A state title game reached Malott’s courtroom last Friday afternoon.

Malott granted a temporary restraining order against RRPS and the NMAA, making Nieto – whose health was in dispute – eligible to compete in the Storm’s 48-35 victory over Eldorado on Saturday in Rio Rancho.

Cleveland officials had said he was ineligible to play in the game because training staff diagnosed a concussion after Nieto suffered a hit to the head in a state semifinal game Nov. 28.

Rio Rancho Public Schools public information officer, Beth Pendergrass, told the Journal on Wednesday that the district did not receive sufficient advance notice to appear at the hearing in Albuquerque seeking the restraining order.

Malott said in his letter that was not true.

“A review of the record shows in fact, RRPS’ lawyers were aware of the pending hearing here in the 2nd Judicial District for several hours and took the opportunity to file documents disqualifying Judge Victor Lopez from proceeding with the hearing,” Malott said.

The letter goes on to say that Rio Rancho did not ask for a telephonic appearance or “otherwise communicate with the Court to further advance their position.”

The Santa Fe-based counsel for Rio Rancho Public Schools, Charlotte Hetherington, said the district was unaware which judge had been assigned the case after Judge Lopez was disqualified. She also said she didn’t receive the email notice from Nieto’s attorney regarding the time of the hearing until the hearing was beginning, 55 miles away. This was about 2:30 p.m. Friday, Hetherington said.

“From the school’s perspective and from my perspective, we did not know judge Malott was the assigned judge until the hearing began,” said Hetherington, who said she was in Santa Fe when the email arrived.

Hetherington said there was “a disconnect between what the judge understood to be happening and what we understood to be happening.”

The second piece of information that Malott said was incorrect was a statement to the Journal by NMAA executive director Sally Marquez, who said the organization did not argue in front of Malott and was there simply to support Rio Rancho Public Schools. NMAA counsel Mark Geiger “strongly” argued against the requested restraining order, Malott said.

Marquez told the Journal on Thursday that there was a miscommunication about the NMAA’s role in last week’s hearing.

“Mark was there supporting Rio Rancho,” Marquez said Thursday. “When no one (showed) up, he had to testify on his own.”

Marquez was adamant that the NMAA was there to help uphold the integrity of the state’s concussion law, a 5-year-old law that, in essence, says an athlete must sit out one week after being diagnosed with a concussion. Part of the Nieto family’s challenge involved when the one-week time frame starts, arguing he should have been eligible regardless of whether he had suffered a concussion or not.

“We were shocked (that Rio Rancho didn’t show up),” Marquez said. “Mark was there and Rio Rancho never showed, so Mark had to fight – without any documents. Because those are Rio Rancho documents. Rio Rancho had them all. Mark tried to fight, but didn’t have anything in writing.”

Nieto left the Nov. 28 Mayfield game and did not return. Cleveland said Nieto was knocked unconscious, but the junior running back disagreed.

Several days later, after being told he would have to miss the final against Eldorado because of the concussion protocol, Nieto consulted with a private doctor for a neurological evaluation. According to court documents, that doctor reported that it was unlikely Nieto “ever sustained a brain injury.”

That evidence was presented to Malott on Friday.

Malott said he determined that the doctor’s opinion “was more reliable than the opinion of the team’s trainer in giving effect to the statute’s purpose of protecting student athletes.”

Thus, Nieto was eligible to compete. But he only appeared on the field once, on a kickoff team near the end of the game. Cleveland head coach Heath Ridenour said he held Nieto out over safety concerns.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.abqjournal.com/689516/sports/judge-in-cleveland-case-disputes-rrps-nmaa-comments.html

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New Mexico Athletic Association to Challenge Concussion Ruling

A district court judge decided to allow a star running back for Cleveland High School to participate in last Saturday’s Class 6A state championship game even though the school district had said he was ineligible due to receiving a concussion in the playoff game the week before.

As it turns out, coaches only put him in for one play, but school officials and the New Mexico Activities Association are worried the judge’s decision could have an effect on the state’s concussion law protocol.

Shawn Nieto, the Storm’s junior starting running back for both of the school’s first two playoff games, suffered a concussion – according to Cleveland – in the second half of a Nov. 28 semifinal playoff game at Mayfield following a head-to-head hit.

“Our trainer (Jeff Archuleta) identified him being unconscious for a period of time. That’s an automatic concussion (protocol),” said Rio Rancho Public Schools athletic director Bruce Carver.

Nieto, who did not return to that game, argued that he did not lose consciousness. He further argued that he was not advised to get an independent medical evaluation, and that he was allowed to drive home from Cleveland after the team returned to the school from Las Cruces that night.

The family had a private examination conducted of the player a few days later. That doctor, listed in a court filing as Dr. Karen Ortiz, said Nieto “exhibited normal cognitive ability” and she concluded that it was “unlikely” that Nieto had suffered a brain injury, according to documents.

Cleveland informed Nieto that he would not play in the state final against Eldorado, basing the decision on the standard, minimum “one week” waiting period, per the law, that must occur before an athlete may return to action after receiving a concussion.

The family went to court Friday – first in Sandoval County, but after learning that the court was closing at noon and thus would be unable to get an emergency hearing, attorneys filed in Bernalillo County – and received a temporary restraining order against Rio Rancho Public Schools. Nieto would suffer irreparable harm if he was kept off the field, the TRO request maintained.

No one from RRPS appeared for the court hearing in Albuquerque late Friday afternoon, so no proof was offered that Nieto had, in fact, suffered a concussion. Consequently, Judge Alan Malott ruled Nieto could participate.

“The suit wasn’t brought in the right county, in our opinion,” RRPS public information officer Beth Pendergrass said. Asked why the district failed to show up for the hearing, she said, “We weren’t notified about the change of venue in time to be present.”

The New Mexico Activities Association was listed as a co-defendant along with RRPS and was in court Friday to back up Rio Rancho Public Schools, executive director Sally Marquez said. The NMAA did not argue in front of the judge, but does plan to challenge the court’s decision to grant the TRO.

“We will fight for the law,” Marquez said, adding that the NMAA doesn’t believe a court should have allowed Nieto to play. Marquez was emphatic that the NMAA is not trying to retroactively find Nieto to be ineligible, thereby leaving Cleveland vulnerable to a forfeit.

“We just want to make sure the rule stands up, that this doesn’t happen again,” she said, adding that she wants the TRO overturned to dissuade others.

The family, through its attorneys, is declining comment.

Cleveland coaches kept Nieto off the field during the championship game on Saturday, with one exception. He was inserted late in the fourth quarter, on a kickoff team following the final score of the game, a Cleveland field goal with 2:23 remaining.

Landry Hayes started at running back Saturday, rushing for more than 200 yards and four touchdowns in Cleveland’s 48-35 victory. He had started at the position early in the season, but was sidelined due to an injury. He returned for the championship game.

“Ultimately, the decision was I was just looking out for Shawn’s safety,” Storm head coach Heath Ridenour said, adding that he felt it wasn’t worth the risk that Nieto might be injured if Cleveland handed him the ball.

One of the results of Nieto challenging his diagnosis in court is how the state’s concussion law might be interpreted.

There is no specific language that dictates when the one-week protocol begins. The NMAA said it believes the one week is defined as seven days that begin the day following an injury.

In this case, that would be the Sunday after Cleveland beat Mayfield in the semifinals. Carver said Cleveland’s trainer also felt strongly that the seven-day waiting period starts the following day.

Nieto’s attorneys argued that the concussion protocol period would have concluded before the title game.

As for the harm Nieto was caused because he didn’t play, the family stated that his chances at a college scholarship are put in jeopardy since this was such a high-profile event. Nieto is listed as a 5-foot-4, 135-pound running back on MaxPreps.com. He ran for 931 yards and 18 touchdowns during the season.

Carver said he wants to revise the wording in the Rio Rancho district handbook to be far more specific about when the seven-day period begins. The state law is five years old.

“You could see why a kid would want to play in a state championship game, and you want to do the right thing,” Carver said. “But our trainer is a very experienced trainer. They (the family) were looking for a loophole.”

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.abqjournal.com/688680/sports/nmaa-to-challenge-ruling-that-circumvented-concussion-decision.html

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Florida Athletic Trainer Protecting against concussions

Every time Brooke Griffin, a certified athletic trainer, goes to work, someone’s life could be in her hands.She coaches football players and other athletes at F.W. Buchholz High School on how to recover from injuries and protect their bodies on the field. This year, Griffin said, she has diagnosed about seven or eight concussions at the local high schools.

Being able to do that is important, because since July 1 of this year, 11 high school football players have died from football-related injuries, according to aUSA TODAY High School Sports article.

That is six more deaths than in 2014, when five high school football players died as a result of football-related activities, according to a study conducted by the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research.

In response to these deaths, the High School Football Safety Study Act was introduced to Congress Nov. 5.

Lawmakers are calling for increased education on safety practices in high school football. The act calls for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the causes of these deaths.

One way some schools try to diagnose and prevent athlete injuries is through hiring trainers like Griffin, according to a National Athletic Trainers’ Association study. But many high schools don’t offer full-time access to athletic training services: Of the 8,509 high schools that responded to the study, only 37 percent offered such services.

“I have worked with a wide variety of athletes, from those that try to hide their symptoms and those that have reported them right away,” Griffin said. “We try to educate them on the importance of resting from a head injury and not trying to play through the symptoms.”

Athletic trainers can spot concussion symptoms through various tests on the sidelines during games, something that has proven to be a valuable resource at all levels of the sport. Griffin performs a Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) test and a cranial nerves assessment when evaluating athletes. The SCAT test is used in conjunction with a Baseline Concussion Test administered before the season to compare athletes’ reflexes, cognitive abilities and impulse control.

“If I see anything alarming on either of those evaluations, or just by talking to the athlete, that is usually when I refer them on to the physician,” Griffin said. “As far as treatment goes, there isn’t a whole lot to it. Athletes are told to rest and can sometimes have formal physical therapy.”

Mark Latsko, the head football coach at Gainesville High School, said the varsity team has had one concussion case this season.

The school’s “Return to Play” policy ensures that a player is healthy enough to return to a game after a hit to the head.  If an athlete is removed from a game for concussion symptoms and has been treated, the policy requires written consent from a physician to return to play. However, if no concussion symptoms are apparent, the sideline staff makes the decision to let them back in the game or not.

This is where developing technology can make a difference in the safety of the players.

The helmets the football team uses are equipped with the latest technology and protection against blunt force trauma to the head, Latsko said.

The helmets have sensors that send information to the athletic trainer any time the player has impact to the helmet, including location, duration and strength.

“We buy between 10 to 15 new helmets from Riddell every year, in addition to reconditioning all of our previously used helmets from the season before,” Latsko said. “I believe the helmets do a good job of preventing [concussions], but nothing is 100 percent.”

Riddell Sports manufactures many of the helmet models used by high school and college athletic programs across the country.

New helmet technology is allowing trainers on the sidelines to monitor and react to a typical head injury suffered by players on the field, said Erin Griffin, the director of corporate communications for Riddell Sports.

Erin Griffin said many of Riddell’s models are now incorporating sensors into the helmets that can detect potentially dangerous head trauma to athletes wearing them.

“We believe integration of head impact monitoring technologies into helmets will be expected in the next five years,” she said.

However in some situations, little can realistically be done to prevent further damage once it has occurred to the head and neck areas of the body. Regardless of where the technology leads, Brooke Griffin said she believes education is key to lowering the number of concussions and football-related deaths in the U.S.

The education begins with a chain of communication between trainers, the coaching staff, players and parents, she said.

Brooke Griffin said the first person she communicates with about an injury is the athlete, followed by the coach. She also speaks with every parent of an athlete who has sustained a concussion to explain warning signs and how to handle the situation.

For Latsko, making sure young athletes are physically able to walk away from a game remains his top priority.

“We are always going to error on the side of safety for the student athlete,” Latsko said. “That hasn’t changed and will never change.”

Brooke Griffin echoed that sentiment.

“When it comes to head injuries, I always try to tell the students that they are only given one brain,” she said. “And we don’t want them to ruin it.”

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

High School Football Deaths Bring Change, Education To Local Teams

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Why Athletic Trainers Say You Can Never Be Too Safe With The Brain

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a concussion after a big hit in Sunday’s game.

And while his status for next week’s game is still unknown, we wanted to take a look at concussion safety and the potential long–term impact for not only athletes, but people of all ages.

A lot of Vikings fans are still upset over this hit on QB Teddy Bridgewater.

Many calling it a dirty hit by defensive back Lamarcus Joyner.

The hit knocked Teddy out for the remainder of the game with a concussion.

Mayo Neurologist Andrew Reeves says, “A concussion is when the brain’s natural, normal function changes due to impact.”

But coaches, parents and athletes at all levels need to be aware of the warning signs and risks associated with a hit to the head.

Reeves says, “Obviously the most common one is headache, it it’s from a blow to the head in any way, even a fall, the headaches, dizziness, sensitivity, concentrating, they just don’t feel right.”

When it comes to player safety, athletes and parents in Minnesota need to know the athletic trainers and coaches are not just being overprotective; it’s the law.

OFC Head Athletic Trainer Troy Hoehn says, “Concussion law for the state states that if they have an incident that could cause a concussion or symptoms we need to pull them from play that day and they can only be returned if they are cleared by a medical professional.”

And for a sport that prides itself on toughness, coaches say it’s not worth the risk to the brain.

MSU Head Football Coach Todd Hoffner says, “Do not mask, do not hide, do not hold back. This is nothing to mess around with.”

And the best way to prevent a concussion?

Reeves says, “Protecting ourselves, including wearing a helmet.”

And while helmets can’t completely prevent concussions, they can help soften the blow.

Because when it comes to the brain, you can never be too safe.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.keyc.com/story/30474592/concussion-safety-why-athletic-trainers-say-you-can-never-be-too-safe-with-the-brain

 

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Arizona AT helps high school hockey players

Sarah Schodrof, a certified athletic trainer at the Banner Concussion Center in downtown Phoenix, has a new group of patients: high school hockey players.

This summer, Banner Health partnered with the Arizona High School Hockey Association, a youth hockey league, to educate and to raise concussion awareness amongst its student-athletes. Schodrof spent two weeks visiting the Valley ice rinks to discuss concussion protocol with the league’s coaches and staff.

In August, about 500 of AHSHA’s players underwent concussion baseline testing, a procedure that is used to gather information about an individual’s normal brain function. Once a player is suspected of sustaining a concussion, his or her post-injury results can be compared to their initial baseline test.

Visual and verbal memory, motor-speed and reaction time are tested, framing a detailed picture of how an individual player thinks.

“We can compare everyone to the normal data, but that’s not how everyone thinks,” Schodrof said. “Everyone is different. Now, we have an individual baseline for every one of these 500 players to get them back on their own pace.”

This new partnership is a part of the recent concussion management procedures AHSHA implemented. The organization’s injury guidelines stem from USA Hockey as well as the ImPACT, or Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing program, which is a computerized concussion diagnostic test the athletic trainers use to determine when it is safe for a player to return. ImPACT testing is used by multiple collegiate and professional teams.

“Our main concern is the player’s safety,” said Mike Steffens, AHSHA’s injury management chair. “We want to see proper medical follow-up take place, even if the parents or player doesn’t believe medical care is necessary.”

Steffens said the team managers and coaches are to be the “eyes and ears.” AHSHA requires coaches to receive mandatory first-aid training and to complete the National Federation of State High School Associations online concussion course.

In addition, Schodrof and her fellow Banner Health athletic trainers taught AHSHA’s coaches on what to look for in a concussed athlete. If they see a big hit, she said, the player needs to be called back to be checked.

The trainers also provided them with evaluation cards that coaches can use on the bench when deciding if player can hop on the next shift or if more medical care is needed.

However, the “be tough and play through it” mentality athletes are taught becomes a challenge when trying to catch and treat a concussion early-on.

RELATED: Nominate your favorite athlete for Arizona Sports Awards

“Players will often try to minimize any problem so they can continue playing,” Steffens said. “So our coaches have to be watching the players closely. The ideal situation would be for the player to take themselves out of the game but that doesn’t always happen.”

Before the first puck-drop of the season, the league’s players sign a form agreeing not to return to play following a blow to the head or body that results in concussion-like symptoms and to resume ice time only after being cleared by a doctor.

“We try to stress with the players that the earlier we detect these things, the sooner we are able to get them back on the ice,” Schodrof said. “Even if you’re not feeling okay, don’t be afraid to say so. It doesn’t mean that it’s going to pull you from the rest of your season, but it can help you in the long run.”

As a Chicago native and Blackhawks fan who grew up watching family members play hockey, the Valley ice rinks gave her an unexpected taste of home.

“Moving out here to Arizona, I never really thought that my career would bring me towards working with concussions, let alone working with hockey a little more specifically,” Schodrof said. “I really like working with a sport that I’m familiar with. I’m able to be a part of something that’s developing, by raising concussion awareness and for hockey here.”

Go here for an inside look at Banner Health’s concussion testing.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/high-school/2015/11/03/banner-helping-raise-concussion-awareness-hs-hockey/75116344/

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Montana Athletic Trainers Protect Young Athletes

There is risk involved in any contact sport.

And health experts say that’s true of any sport, whether it’s soccer, tennis, hockey or football, there is inherent risk to sports.

“That’s a very controversial issue,” said Billings Clinic Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Physician Assistant Timothy Sanders.“But can you die from a concussion? I don’t know.  I think there is a thing called second impact syndrome where you get a concussion, and then you get another concussion, which they say that second impact syndrome is 50% mortal, and that means 50% of the kids that get it will die.”

And as the debate gains speed, School District 2 officials are taking note.

“We’re really concern about the concussion issue,” said SD2 Athletic Director, Mark Wahl.

The most recent case involved a Chicago area high school football player, 17- year old Andre Smith, who died during a game about a week ago. He marks the seventh high school football player to die this year.

Billings school officials don’t want their players to become a statistic.

“We went through a comprehensive process a couple of years ago to have a complete district policy. We have full impact testing for all our athletes, especially the athletes who are in those contact sports.”‘

“Basically it tells us how their brain functions. So pretty much all athletes in School District 2 take a test before they start their sports, and this test is their baseline,” said Sanders. “This is where they are before they got hit by the truck, or before they got run over by the quarterback.”

According to SD2 officials, if there is any hint, even the slightest hint of a concussion, athletes must go through the protocol before they can get back in the game. And that protocol they say, starts with a sideline evaluation.

“We have license athletic trainers at all schools and they are trained to administer the sideline test, which consists of balance testing, memory testing, things like visual acuity and mental clarity,” said Skyview Head Athletic Trainer Troy Trollope.

“The trainers are very instrumental in helping us deal with concussions,” said Sanders.

“As coaches, we have to make sure, number one, that our players are conditioned, said Skyview Head Football Coach Ron Lebsock.  “And what we found is that the stronger the neck and shoulder area, the less concussion.”

“We eliminate them from competition or practices for that seven to 10 days and then re-valuate them at that time based on what the providers tell the athletic trainers and then we return to play protocol, which consists of some play exertions, and then reclimatize the athlete to the competitive environment,” said Trollope.

If the athletic trainer thinks a player has had a concussion, then the athlete will repeat the test.

And that allows trainers to see how the athlete’s memory and motorspeed are affected, offering insight into the possibility and severity of a concussion.

Because risks are involved in all contact sports, School District 2 officials are taking steps to make sure players, trainers, coaches and parents are educated on the dangers of concussion.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.ktvq.com/story/30398298/billings-school-district-2-protecting-young-athletes-from-concussion

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Nebraska Athletic trainer provides concussion expertise

High school athletes are passionate about their sports. They want to play … sometimes even through pain. but there’s one injury that can sideline them immediately — concussions.

The state of Nebraska uses guidelines called “Return toLearn” to identify when an athlete is allowed back on the field or court. St. Patrick’s Quarterback Bryce Byrn is back on the practice field for the Irish. He is preparing for the Irish’s first round opponent in the state playoffs. A concussion a couple of weeks ago, forced Bryce to the sideline. The quarterback couldn’t take any snaps until he passed a relatively new concussion protocol called the “Return To Learn.”

Doug Long, an athletic trainer, says, “That way thekids get back in the classroom. They are preparing academically before we put them out on the field.”

The state of Nebraska mandated this new proceedure to make sure athletes are truly ready to get back on the field or court.

Shelly Byrn, Bryce’s mom, says, “As a parent you have a look at the big picture. He doesn’t see the big picture. Now he see the big picture but he knows we did the right thing.”

Bryce says, “It was hard because I just wanted to compete. Now that I look back at it I would rather behealthy for the playoffs rather than a regular season game.”

Long says it is very important to follow these proceedures for the safety of the athlete. A concussion can be difficult to detect. Long says you need to be able to ease an athelte back into competition.

Long says, “Once they can do a full day of school then they start back on the gradual return to play. They start out just doing streaching, easy jogging that sort of thing”

The first year of the new concussion protocol has worked very well and it has helped insure the players return to the field healthy.

Long says, “15 to 20 years ago we would send them back to practice and we had no idea they may not be processing information correctly and that is still part of the residual concussion and they were not ready for practice.”

Long says there will probably be some tweeks to the new concussion protocol but he says the new proceedure is makinig a difference….Bryce had to miss the last game of the regular season but he is cleared to be in the line-up and ready to make a run at the state championship. Long says in cases like Bryce’s have to use your head — and make the right choice.

ORIGINALA RTICLE:
http://www.knopnews2.com/home/headlines/New-Concussion-Protocols-Helps-Safety-of-High-School-Athletes-338511032.html