Sports Then and Now

A recent study of the brains of former NFL players showed almost all had some level of brain trauma.

For the last year or more, it seems every time there is a negative story about the NFL, it prompts the obligatory question of whether that particular issue will be the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back” and signal the start of the decline for the financial and popularity juggernaut.

Whether it be declining television ratings, continued off-the-field incidents by players, the perception by many that the game isn’t as physical as in past, the abandonment of long-time NFL cities in St. Louis, San Diego and Oakland, the general unpopularity of Roger Goodell and the New England Patriots or a number of other “negative” stories or events, they all seem to just roll off the back of the NFL as overall revenues continue to increase to levels envied by most governments or for-profit businesses.

However, news that came out this week may over time be the one story that the NFL cannot easily shake.

A scientific study published this week in the medical journal JAMA looked at the brains of 202 deceased former high school, college and professional football players. Amongst those former players, 177, including 110 of the 111 former NFL players, were diagnosed as having CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy).

CTE is a degenerative brain disease most often found in athletes, military veterans, and others with a history of repetitive brain trauma. To create CTE, a protein called Tau forms clumps that slowly spread throughout the brain, killing brain cells. Studies have found CTE in people as young as 17, but symptoms most typically don’t begin appearing until years after the initial head impacts.

Early symptoms of CTE affect a patient’s mood and behavior. Some common changes often include impulse control problems, aggression, depression, and paranoia.

As the disease progresses, it is typical for patients to experience problems with thinking and memory, including memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, and eventually progressive dementia. Cognitive symptoms tend to appear later than mood and behavioral symptoms, and often first appear when the patient is in their 40s or 50s. Patients may exhibit one or both symptom clusters and the symptoms may often worsen with time (even if the patient suffers no additional head impacts). In other cases, symptoms may be stable for years before worsening. Read the rest of this entry →

Playing a sport can help you stay in shape, stay connected with friends and have fun at the same time. If you have been injured, you may be tempted to play through the pain or come back too soon. These are both bad ideas. What are some good ways to manage your sports injuries?

See Your Doctor

The first thing that you should do is see your doctor and get a proper diagnosis of your injury. After determining the extent of the damage done to your body, he or she can create a timeline to returning to play. If the injury is a minor one, you may just need to rest or limit the amount of time spent on the field for a few days. If the injury is a major one, it may require months of rehab or surgery to correct.

What If Surgery Is Needed?

Seeing an orthopedic surgeon like Western Orthopaedics or someone similar may be necessary if you have a torn tendon or have ripped a muscle from the bone. If you have suffered from chronic pain, getting surgery may help you live a better quality of life both on and off the field. Depending on your age and other health factors, you could recover in a matter of weeks.  Read the rest of this entry →

Over 3.5 million sport participants are injured every year. If a person has multiple concussions, it may make simple tasks such as driving to the grocery store or remembering someone’s name difficult or impossible. A concussion can have serious effects on a person’s health both now and well into the future.  Concussions and brain trauma are becoming more common, with 79% of deceased football players having CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy.) Therefore, it is important for an athlete to understand how to either avoid a concussion or how to overcome one that has already occurred.

Wear A Head And Mouth Protection

While wearing a helmet or a mouth guard won’t necessarily prevent a concussion from occurring, it can provide protection against punches, errant throws or other debris. It may also be the difference between living and dying if your head hits the ice or the ground with force. Read the rest of this entry →

Sports injuries happen regularly, whether they are in organized sports programs or just playing a simple game of pick-up basketball. Sports injury claims can often be problematic for the injured party in very serious situations when specific claim factors are considered by a respondent insurance company. Regardless of what transpires that produces an insurance policy injury claim, the insurance company adjusters will still investigate the claim diligently looking for reasons to limit coverage. In some instances, the only coverage is for medical bills. The can result in the necessity to consult with a personal injury attorney concerning injury compensation because details always matter in any personal injury claim.

Case Specifics

In the event that a sports injury claim goes to court, the injured claimant legal counsel must prove the injury occurred either due to the negligence of the property owner for the safety of the injured party or by intentional act. Many times insurance companies even deny claims that are the result of an intentional action by the property owner or individual in charge. How an injury occurs is important in every instance, and limitations on coverage could be largely dependent on which form of comparative negligence your particular state uses. Assumption of personal risk is always a consideration in sports injury claims because most athletic activities are personal choices by the injured party. Actually, in organized sports injuries, waivers on legal claims are often a component of the sign up process, so claims could be limited by agreement of all involved parties. Read the rest of this entry →

Dealing with a sports injury can be difficult. Whether your injury is a broken bone or a sprained ankle, the recovery process can be both physically and mentally painful. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to get yourself off the sidelines and back on the field as quickly as possible.

Ask the Right Questions

Immediately following your accident, take some time to gather facts about your injury. Ask your medical professional questions like, “what physical activities can I participate in? How long does it typically take to recover from this type of injury?” Once you get these answers, the next step is to identify what your treatment options are and select what works best for you.

Find Your Team

In order to get back on your feet as quickly as possible, you need a network of health providers who specialize in dealing with your unique type of injury. For a knee injury or shoulder injury, the specialists at places like Western Orthopaedics can provide state-of-the-art care. When you are well enough to begin training again, be sure that your trainer remains in close contact with your physical therapist. If you do not already have a trainer, your physical therapist may be able to help you find someone to assist with your re-entry into the sport. Read the rest of this entry →

As a coach, it should be your top priority to keep your athletes safe. In fact, it may be a higher priority than trying to win the game. The good news is that there are many steps that you can take to keep your players safe while also putting them in the best position to succeed.

Take a Conservative Approach to the Game

It may be possible to keep injuries to a minimum by taking a conservative approach to the game. For instance, you may want to prevent younger pitchers from throwing pitches involving the use of their elbow. Football coaches may discourage quarterbacks from throwing passes to wide receivers in the middle of the field.

Make Players Wear Optional Safety Equipment

Athletes will do anything for a competitive edge even if it may put their physical health at risk. This means that they may wear smaller pads or even forego pads at all if it slows them down or otherwise hinders their ability to play the game properly. As a coach, you should only play those who wear all required and even optional equipment as well to make sure no one gets hurt. Read the rest of this entry →