Contact Sports Head/Body Injuries
Research Paper
November 19, 2013

Down, Set, Hut, Hut! The ball snaps, and everyone clashes into each other like warriors in battle. This is what we love about the game of football. While we are enjoying this rugged game, behind the scenes there are players in pain on and off of the field. From them having concussions to broken toes, or in other words from head to toe, every game possibly being there last one depending on the extremity of their next injury they still continue to play and entertain us. In this paper we are going to journey through some of those injuries and issues due to this sport we love and how we could help solve it, and help these athletes we love so much be able to stay in the game of football a little longer.
To start off, although we’re just focusing on NFL, I have to let you know it’s not just affecting them, but the little ones we having playing this sport as well. In an article I read entitled, “Hits to the Head Don’t Differ in Age, Research Indicates”, it says that more 25,000 kids ranging from ages 8 to 19 are taken to the emergency room seeking treatment for concussions each year (Belson, 2013). This goes to say that although we enjoy when the adults are doing all this physical contact, but when it’s our own kids do we feel the same way? Well, in this case think of those NFL players as you do your children. What if they could never play again, on or off of the field?
In reading another article by Sabrina Rogers (2009), entitled “Top 10 Injuries”, among that list was concussions, and it goes to say that, “A concussion is an injury to the brain that is usually the result of a blow to the head. Symptoms include disorientation, vision disturbance, headache, dizziness, amnesia, loss of balance, difficulty concentrating, and nausea. A concussion does not necessarily involve a loss of consciousness. Concussions are most common in contact sports, such as football, boxing, hockey, and soccer. However, they also occur in sports like skiing and gymnastics. While most people return to normal a few weeks or months after a concussion, multiple concussions can cause permanent damage”. In this article it goes into detail on several other sports related injuries and how they can be minimized.
Finally, in an article by Hendershot (2012), entitled, “How to Save Football from Head Injuries”, the author goes to say that, “The NFL has already instituted new practice rules that subject players to fewer hits between games. Now it’s turning to technology to help track the blows a player’s head absorbs over time. The league is currently testing out accelerometers inside helmets to measure those impacts”. Also, there are all kinds of equipment companies coming up with new and improved equipment that will help the impact that comes at the players bodies. There are coming up with head to toe equipment from new shoulder pads, to rib protection, to butt and thigh pads, that is very durable, protective, but also flexible and comfortable as well.
For my solution to help prevent concussion, or rather when a concussion happens to help minimize the pain, damage, and possible permanent effect of a concussion I came across an article and video by All-Star Sports entitled, “ Ice Your Head- A Treatment for Concussions”. In this viewing I found an easy, economical, durable, reliable, anytime use piece of equipment that could definitely help down play the effects of repetitive blows to the head from contact sports such as football. This piece of equipment is called “Catalyst Cryo-Helmet”. In this article is says that, “With no major complications known with the use of ice, it is our opinion that using therapeutic hypothermia (ice) should be used in all mild repetitive hits to the head (football practice, sparring, heading in soccer, etc.) as well as large hits (i.e. concussion). This should not stop you from seeing your doctor! Just like you would ice your knee right after the injury before you see the orthopedist, the same should hold true for your head”. The correct and official definition for therapeutic hypothermia or protective hypothermia which is the basis of this equipment is a medical treatment that lowers patients or players body temperature in order to help reduce risk of the ischemic injury to the bodily tissue, which for example comes from blows to the head as concussions do. This incredible piece of equipment is something that could be used before, during or even after a game or rough practice. This is a solution that could be used by athletes of any age range and any contact sport that may be at risk of receiving a concussion.
Although there is not a complete solution to solve this issue we have of players getting hurt, we are trying to get closer. We are striving hard, working diligently, trying to protect our players and keep them in the game we love so much, because without the hard hitting in the game of football we might as well read a book or take a nap, because it just wouldn’t be the same. The Cryo-Helmet may not be the ultimate solution to preventing concussion injuries but it is one further step that we have getting closer to the conclusion.

References

BELSON, K. (2013, September 24). Hits to the Head Don’t Differ With Age, Research Indicates. The New York Times Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/25/sports/hits-to-the-head-dont-differ-with-age-research-indicates.html?ref=headinjuries&_r=1&

This article was about how it doesn’t matter at what age you get hit, too many can cause serious damage to anyone of any age.

Hendershot, S. (2012, November 19). How to Save Football from Head Injuries: FOOTBALL’S
FUTURE: The push to reduce concussions won’t ruin fans’ experience of NFL games. Chicago Magazine. Retrieved from: http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/December-2012/How-to-Save-Football-From-Head-Injuries/

This article is about how to prevent head injuries in football. It is about how the NFL is going about coming up with new rules and regulations to try and help reduce concussions and other head injuries not only in the Big Games, but starting in practices.

Packard, L. (2013). Sports Injury Statistics: How frequently do sports injuries occur?
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Retrieved from: http://www.lpch.org/DiseaseHealthInfo/HealthLibrary/orthopaedics/stats.html

This article is talking about all the children and teenagers that experience injuries while participating in sports throughout the season. It goes in to detail as far as giving you numbers and a breakdown into categories of sports with the numbers.
Reuters, S. (2012, December 3). Head Injuries: Contact sports leave pattern of brain injuries, study finds. NBC News. Retrieved from: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/contact-sports leave-pattern-brain-injuries-study-finds-1C7403110

This article goes to talk about head injuries related to all kinds of contact sports, particularly football. It goes to talk about how they have researched over 85 former athletes and even soldiers who have had multiple head injuries and how they have even had 'Dementia pugilistica'.

Rogers, S. (2009, June 19). Top 10 Sports Injuries. Fox News. Retrieved from: http://www.foxnews.com/story/2009/06/19/top-10-sports-injuries/ This article just goes to list the top 10 sports related injuries, well that were at the top in 2009. It goes in to detail and description for each of the injuries listed.