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Life’sproblemswouldn’tbecalled“hurdles”iftherewasn’tawaytogetoverthem….

ConcussionsinYouthSportsOverthepastfewyears,concussionsandplayersafetyinsportshasbecomeatopicthatisfrequentlydiscussed.Alargeamountoftheconcernwiththeinjurysurroundsthesportoffootballduetoacadreofformerprofessionalfootballplayersbeingdiagnosedwithchronictraumaticencephalopathy(CTE)inpostmortemexaminations.However,thisisbecauseoftherepetitivenatureofinjuriesinthissportduetocollisions.WhatisaConcussion?Aconcussionisatypeoftraumaticbraininjurycausedbyablowtotheheadorafallthatjarsthebraininsidetheskull.Whilethebrainisprotectedfrommostsuddenmovementsbythecushion-likefluidsurroundingit,biggerimpactscansendthebraincrashingintoyourskull,whichiswheninjuryoccurs.Thereareusuallynovisiblesignsofaconcussion,suchasacutorbruise.Sometimesaconcussionwillbeidentifiableifthevictimlosesconsciousnessforevenasplitsecondandforgetswhathappenedpriortotheirinjury.Inmostinstancesthevictimsdon’tpassout,soitcanbedifficultfornon-medicalprofessionalstotellifonehasoccurred.Someofthesymptomsofconcussionsincludenotthinkingclearly,notbeingabletoconcentrateorremember,nauseaandvomiting,lingeringheadaches,lightornoisesensitivity,andmoreemotionalmoodswings,amongotherthings.Ifyouareexperiencingafewoftheseafteraheavyknockduringagameitisbesttogoseeadoctorforexpertadvice.

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ConcussionsandtheTeenageBrainWithbrainsthatarestillgrowing,thereissignificantconcernabouttheeffectthatconcussionscanhaveonteenageathletesinthelongrun.Somestudieshavesuggestedthatteenageathleteswithahistoryofmultipleconcussionsexperiencesomelingeringeffectsoncognitivefunction;however,nodefinitiveconclusionhasbeenmadeinthisregard.

Thereisalsoconcernthatteenageathletesaremoresusceptibletoconcussions.Onerecentstudyusinginsuranceclaimdatashowedthatteenagersweremostlikelytobediagnosedwithconcussionswith15-18yearoldsaccountingfor46%ofthediagnosescoveredinthestudy(ages0-22from2007-2015).Studieshavealsoshownthatayoungpersonwhosuffersaconcussionisone

andahalftimes(1.5X)morelikelytosufferanother.Afterthesecond,theyarethenTHREEtimes(3X)morelikelytohaveanother.Whilefigureslikethesemightmove,parentshavebeguntoweightherisksoftheirkid’sinvolvementinsportsduetothepossibilityofheadinjuries.Expertsmaintaintobelievethatthereisnoreasontomakeadecisionsuchaskeepingyourchildawayfromsports.Simplyput,theriskofyourchildexperiencingaconcussiondoesnotoutweighthecognitive,physical,social,andemotionalbenefitsofparticipatinginsports.Infact,yourathletecouldsustainaconcussionfallingofftheirchairatschool.InWhatSportsareConcussionsMostFrequent?Therearenodefinitivenumbersavailablenationallythatletusknowexactlyhowmanyconcussionsthereareinyouthsportseachyear.ArecentstudypublishedinthejournalPediatricslastyearestimatedthatbetween1.1millionand1.9millionconcussionsrelatedtosportsandrecreationoccurannuallyinAmericans18yearsoldandyounger.WehavealreadymentionedthatconcussionsoccurmostfrequentlyinfootballandmoststudiesshowelevatedconcussiondiagnosesduringthemonthsofSeptemberandOctober,peakfootballseason.Thisissimplyduetothenatureofthegame,butothersportssuchassoccer,rugby,icehockey,boxing,skiing,andsnowboardingareexamplesofsportsinwhichplayersareatrepeatedriskofconcussionfromheadtraumafromcollisionsorfallsthatoccurnaturallyduringcompetition.

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HowDoIRecoverFromaConcussion?Inthecaseyouhavebeendiagnosedwithaconcussion,thenrestisthebestwaytorecover.Somepeoplebegintofeelbetterafteradayortwo,whileinsomecasesitcouldtakeweeksbeforeanumberofsymptomssubside.Thisjustdependsontheseverityoftheinjury.Ifyoutrytogetbacktoyourregularactivity,butstillexperiencesymptoms,itmeansthatyouarenotreadytoreturnandshouldcontinueresting.Recentlyconcussedathletesareespeciallyatriskofgettingconcussedagainandexperiencingevenmoreseriousbraininjury.Studiesalsoshowthathighschoolageathletestakemoretimetorecoverthantheiroldercounterparts.ConcussionGuidelinesThe2014NationalAthleticTrainer’sAssociation(NATA)positionstatementonconcussionsrecommendsthatAthleticTrainersbepresentatallorganizedsportingactivities.Theseexpertsarealsoexpectedtosharethelatestinformationregardingtesting,diagnosis,andmanagementofconcussionswithotherindividuals,suchasadministrators,parents,andcoaches.Thiswillhelpincreasetheirawarenessandabilitytomaketherightdecisions.All50statesandtheDistrictofColumbiaalsohaveyouthconcussionlawsofvaryingseveritytopreventathletesfromre-enteringgamesifaconcussionissuspected.Ifthoseinchargearedoingtheirjobscorrectlybasedontheabove,yoursafetyonthecourtorfieldshouldbeapriority.Theprevention,diagnosis,andrecoveryprocessesrelatedtotheinjurywillbewelltakencareof.Ifyoufeelconcernedthenhaveaconversationwiththoseincharge.Definitions:Chronictraumaticencephalopathy(CTE)–aprogressivedegenerativediseasewhichaffectsthebrainofpeoplewhohavesufferedrepeatedconcussionsandtraumaticbraininjuries,suchasathleteswhotakepartincontactsports,membersofthemilitary,andothers.