Newswise — ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. (August 1, 2012) — For millions of children in North America, the return to school also means a return to organized competitive sports. Whether they are playing football, soccer, volleyball, cheerleading or even practicing for sports in other seasons, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) continues to stress the importance of concussion awareness and prevention as school-age children head back to their respective fields of play. It is important that children, parents, coaches and administrators all take the proper precautions and are aware of the potentially devastating effects that head and spinal cord injuries can have when participating in these sports. That’s why the AANS continues to remind all those involved in youth sports to “make concussion awareness a part of your playbook” this August, which is Neurosurgery Outreach Month.
“Regardless of your age, sport or competitive level, concussion and head trauma injuries are something that can occur to anyone,” says AANS president Mitchel S. Berger, MD, FAANS, FACS. “We as neurosurgeons work to protect the human nervous system, especially when it comes to improving the quality of life for those affected by traumatic injuries. We will continue to strive to develop programs and protocols that can help eliminate these injuries.”
The AANS continues to take a leading role in educating the public on concussion prevention and treatment. Last year, working collaboratively with the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS); AANS/CNS Section on Neurotrauma & Critical Care; the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation; and the Council of State Neurological Societies, the organizations’ partnered to create the PowerPoint presentation “Concussion and Sports: Useful prevention and treatment information for your community from America’s neurosurgeons.” AANS members are using the presentation when speaking to community groups, coaches, school and park districts, and other organizations about how to reduce the likelihood of concussions, as well as what steps to take when being treated for the condition. To view the AANS’ policy statement on concussion, please visit http://www.aans.org/~/link.aspx?_id=6D0C52C6B4B1443E8C38BBAFD7407086&_z=z
The AANS also has updated the Patient Information pages on concussion and sports-related head injury, found at http://www.aans.org/en/Patient Information/Conditions and Treatments.aspx, to give visitors and media the latest information, news and statistics on these subjects. According to the University of Pittsburgh’s Brain Trauma Research Center, more than 300,000 sports-related concussions occur in the United States each year; and 62,000 concussions are sustained annually in high-school contact sports. More information about concussion is available at http://www.aans.org/Patient%20Information/Conditions%20and%20Treatments/Concussion.aspx.
AANS Head-injury Prevention TipsBuy and use helmets or protective headgear approved by the American Society for Testing Materials International (ASTM) for specific sports 100 percent of the time. The ASTM has vigorous standards for testing helmets for many sports; helmets approved by the ASTM bear a sticker stating this. Helmets and headgear come in many sizes and styles for many sports, and must properly fit to provide maximum protection against head injuries. In addition to other safety apparel or gear, helmets or headgear should be worn at all times for:
Baseball and Softball (when batting) CyclingFootballHockeyHorseback RidingInline SkatingPowered Recreational VehiclesSkateboards/ScootersSkiing Snowboarding Wrestling
The National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research (NCCSIR) tracks a number of head and neck injury statistics related to football and cheerleading annually. Both past and present data show that the football helmet does not cause cervical spine injuries; rather it is poorly executed tackling and blocking techniques that are the major problem. In fact, according to NCCSIR data, tackling and blocking have been associated with the majority of catastrophic football injuries; and tackling has been associated with 67.8 percent of catastrophic injuries since 1977.
“While football is a collision sport with inevitable risks, most serious neurological injuries can be prevented if players, parents and coaches take injury prevention and concussions seriously,” states Dr. Berger, who also serves as a member of the National Football League’s Head, Neck and Spine Medical Committee. “Football players who have sustained a concussion need to be withheld from play until all physical and neuropsychological symptoms and signs related to that concussion have resolved and they are cleared to return to play through an independent healthcare professional.”
Although head injuries and concussions associated with football have been well publicized, there is less public awareness about the neurological injuries associated with other sports such as women’s soccer, volleyball and cheerleading, which are certainly less prevalent, but can be just as devastating. Cheerleading has dramatically changed over the last two decades and become a highly acrobatic sport. A number of schools at the high school and college level have limited the types of stunts that can be attempted by their cheerleaders. Rules and safety guidelines now apply to both practice and competition. In the case of cheerleading, NCCSIR data shows that 96 percent of reported concussions and closed-head injuries are preceded by the cheerleader performing a stunt.
And women’s soccer players face a sizeable concussion risk when they step on the pitch to participate in the sport. The American Journal of Sports Medicine has reported that after football, women’s soccer is next in line in terms of the greatest number of concussions reported by school-age athletes.
“Concussion awareness, understanding the symptoms of a potential concussion or other traumatic brain injury, is critically important in all sports,” notes AANS public relations committee chair Kevin Lillehei, MD, FAANS. “Educating the public is one of the best weapons we have when it comes to combating these types of injuries. That is why it’s so important to raise awareness in the community and explain just what some of the effects are that these injuries have.”
Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with nearly 8,200 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system including the spinal column, spinal cord, brain and peripheral nerves. For more information, visit www.AANS.org.
RSS