Many people associate concussions with football and boxing, but the reality is, concussions affect between 1.6 to 3.8 million athletes yearly in a variety of contact sports, including hockey, soccer, basketball and the list goes on.
Concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is biomechanically induced, meaning it’s causing by a mechanical injury (i.e. a blow to the head). The acceleration and deceleration forces initiate a number of events, beginning with the disruption of neuronal cell membranes. This disruption to the membrane quite literally makes the cells leaky.
I don’t know about you but a leaky brain doesn’t seem like a very good thing.
These leaky membranes allow for the flux of ions into and out of the cell. This disrupts cell signal transduction, increasing oxidative stress, axonal swelling, and potentially the severing of axons.
Now, none of those symptoms are good things obviously. They negatively affect memory and cognition in the short term, and if the injury isn’t given enough time to heal its effects can become permanent. This is why there is so much discussion about concussion.
Parents are concerned about the physicality of contact sports. No one wants to be injured, and no one wants their injury to affect their ability to think and process information. That’s why concussions can be so scary, to parents and the athletes alike.
Unfortunately, no two concussions are alike. There is a series of guidelines for diagnosing concussions, but when athletes are allowed to return to play is incredibly variable. This is where athletes face the majority of stress and pressure from coaches. Its seems like the question, “when can you play again?” is always being asked. But returning to play too early can be just as traumatic as the concussion itself. If an athlete returns to play before their injury is fully healed it can increase their chance of getting a second injury and increase the chance of getting a worse injury.
I feel like we have tried so hard to change the games in order to lessen the number of concussions athletes’ experience. But all of the protective headwear and new rules, have they really made a difference? Or have they just allowed for greater contact?
Concussion has short term and long term consequences on the brain, and repeat injury can cause a number of other deficits, and I think to truly decrease the number of concussions we see, athletes coaches and parents alike need to understand and communicate the dangers of playing with a concussion and the increased risk of a second injury.
To view a video about concussions, and how they occur click here.
Discussion on Concussion
