Concussions: Untold Traumatic Brain Injury

Concussion, a mild traumatic brain injury, it may leave you temporarily unconscious and an aftereffect that will leave you confused and incapacity. These head injuries can be caused by violent blows to the head or can also be described as a violent shaking of the head or body. Since studies on head injuries have increased over the past years there has been a lot of attention on concussions, how they can be prevented and the affect that it has on the brain. The attention has been so high that the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has come up with rules and regulations in an attempt to lower the rate of the injury during games. The rules and regulations go as far as fining the opposing player that caused the concussion. The extent of this injury
goes further than just a two break from any physical action, it can be life changing and lead to brain disease.
Studies from Medscape.com were conducted in 2006 to make an attempt at narrowing down the cause of concussions, the aftereffects of concussions, and the rate at which they occur. Symptoms for player who sustained concussions were headaches, dizziness, memory problems, cognitive problems, and somatic complaints. In an attempt to better understand mild TBI in the NFL, the committee provided date on concussions from NFL players from 1996-2001. From the symptoms listed headaches were observed in 55% of NFL players who suffered concussions. For the great majority of these players, mild TBIs did not cause prolonged disability or prolonged absence from play (Elliot J. Pellman & David C. Viano, n.d.).
The return to play rate was close to 56.5% of players with concussions returned to play on the day of the injury and 97.1% returned to play by Day 9 after the injury.
Only 2.9% of the players missed more than 9 days before returning to play (Elliot J. Pellman & David C. Viano, n.d.). This should give you an idea of how fast you can recover from a mild concussion, some are self-evaluation and your own abilities.
With players who have suffered four or more concussions there have been reports of player having personality changes and getting fatigue faster than usual. Overall players with a single concussion and players with several concussions both showed signs and symptoms that were similar. There was no evidence of increased severity of injury in players with several concussion and players with one concussion.
These studies did not go unnoticed by the NFL and its commissioner Roger Goodell. The NFL will provide $30 million in funding for medical research to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. In this big effort the money will administer the NFL funding and research designed to benefit athletes and the general population, including members of the military (League, n.d.). Potential areas under discussion or research include accelerating the pace of discovery to support the most innovative and promising science of the brain, including: chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE); concussion management and treatment; and the understanding of the potential relationship
between traumatic brain injury and late-life neurodegenerative disorders, especially Alzheimer's disease (League, n.d.).
Based on the seriousness of the injury and how common it is in sports and especially football there is a movie coming out called Concussion. It was said that the producer of the movie Ridley Scott, got the idea to create this film because he was inspired by his own studies about former NFL stars Junior Seau and Dave Duerson, both of whom committed suicide after suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (wiki, n.d.). It is an American biographical sports thriller and medical drama film starring Will Smith portraying Bennet Omalu, the forensic pathologist who fought against efforts by National Football League to suppress his research on the brain damage suffered by professional football players (wiki, n.d.). The movie covers the sport of football and the NFL so well that there commercials for the movie are aired during football games. There is rumor the NFL want appreciate the film as much because it shows the ugly side of the game and they feel as if it will affect fans thought and feeling about the game. Which could ultimately lead to less interest in NFL games.
To insure player’s safety in the NFL and in sports period rules and regulation have changed over the years and there have been new ones added. The rules prohibit a player from launching himself off the ground and using his helmet to strike a player in a defenseless posture in the head or neck (NFL, n.d.). Other rules such as not hitting on sliding quarterbacks will be enforced. This is an attempt to eliminate violent hits to the head area, which could possibly lower the rates of concussions.
To help avoid these hits from happening on a regular bases in game player will be fined and possibly kicked out of game depending on how violent the hit may be and if they could have avoided the head collision. One of the first to be fined for one of these hits is Pittsburgh Steeler James Harrison, who hit a wide receiver attempting to catch a pass. The player was defenseless and he was hit in his head area, Harrison was fined $75, 000. Another incident was a hit on Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who was sliding down to avoid contact, he suffered a concussion. The rules state that a hit on quarterbacks when sliding are illegal hits, the player was fined $27, 000. It’s hard to change the game when you’re playing at full speed and are playing off reaction, so these hit may continue and the fines will continue to be handed out.
The NFL Players Care Foundation was created by the NFL Owners, in partnership with the NFL Players Association, Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NFL Alumni Association, created the NFL Player Care Foundation in September 2007(foundation, n.d.). This foundation was founded to express appreciation for former player and their contributions to the NFL, and making it America’s favorite sport. The NFL and NFL Players Association, Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NFL Alumni Association are four of the eight directors of the NFL Players Care Foundation (foundation, n.d.). In addition, four outside directors share their expertise in foundation management, mental health, social welfare issues, and healthcare.
This foundation is meant to improve its outreach and impact so that it may better serve retired players. The foundation focuses on individualized strategies to help players through challenging times. Through charitable grants that support research and offer relief to disadvantaged and distressed retired players, the Players Care Foundation has enacted a number of programs to improve the quality of life for former players (foundation, n.d.).
Some of the programs include Healthy Body and Mind Screening Program. The foundation and this program has partnered up with Tulane University School of Medicine ‐ to conduct its Healthy Body and Mind Screening program (foundation, n.d.). This is free for all former NFL players and includes cardiovascular and prostate screening and mental health resources and education. The results from these screening are used in further research and public awareness and scientific understanding of health issues that affect former NFL Players. These screening will help those player who suffered from multiple concussions throughout their career, and who may have brain damage. This program is used for that exact reason, to catch the problem before it gets worse.
The foundation also has program that help retired player with financial problems they may run into. They provide grants to players in certain situations they allow them to live more comfortably. These grants will cover basic living expenses, including transportation and utilities, Shelter and housing, including rental and mortgage assistance, and assisted living facilities fees and expenses (foundation, n.d.). It will also cover ongoing quality of life expenses such as prescription drugs, medical equipment and supplies, nursing care, and medical treatment. It also will cover necessary joint replacement surgeries approved by the NFL Player Care Plan and related post-operative rehabilitation, including incidental fees and expenses, and it will cover funeral expenses (foundation, n.d.). These grants are review by the board of the foundation and the incident are paid directly toward the bill of the expenses, not the player directly. The NFL Player Care Foundation has contributed $9.1 million toward Financial Assistance and $4.8 million toward healthcare research.
In conclusion I feel that the NFL has made the effort to conquer the problem of Concussions in NFL games and in football period.
They have put plenty of money into foundations such as the NFL Players Care Foundation and Foundation for the National Institutes of Health which both contribute to tons of healthcare research. Commissioner Roger Goodell has also made an attempt to add in rules and regulation that are supposed to help players from receiving Concussions. If these rules aren’t follow player are getting fined for the cause of the injury. Columbia Pictures is even trying to contribute to public awareness of this injury. As you can see the commissioner, the NFL, and other foundations that contribute to the NFL and NFL players, are all contributing money and research that will help conquer the problem of Concussions in the
NFL.