With more demand than ever before, many children play sports longer and more intensely. Extreme physical sports, such as football, soccer (headlines), lacrosse, hockey, equestrian sports, and any other sport where physical exposure occurs repeatedly, can increase the likelihood of injuries and tremors.
According to the CDC, children should engage in physical activity for 60 minutes every day, and with advanced training each week, no more than 10 percent of the intensity and time should be added. Recently, there has been an increase in sports related brain injuries in the US with reportedly 136,000 per year in high school athletes. Every year in the United States about 3.8 million sports injuries associated with sports. This disturbing trend is growing, due to the physical certainty of some sports that can cause concussion.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), concussion of the brain is caused by a biomechanical shock or whiplash injury to the head, face, or neck, which can cause a brain injury or a neurological compromise and change the way the brain works. The brain and associated soft tissues can swell, leading to many secondary conditions. It often happens that there is no evidence of concussion injury, with symptoms that develop on the same day or sometimes slowly over several weeks. A primary condition of abnormal neck dislocation and brain inflammation may occur.
Concussions are classified by one or more of the following secondary conditions: headaches, neck pain, muscle spasms, changes in vision, nebula, poor concentration, sensitivity to fire and sounds, tinnitus, depression, nausea, convulsions, disorientation, forgetfulness, loss of memory , indecisive verbal responses, personality differences, poor coordination and imbalance. Many athletes do not understand that they have sustained a concussion and continue to play, and some even refuse to consult with their parents and coaches. Disturbing concussion statistics:
- A study conducted by the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Nursing Center found that more than 75% could have a concussion, but only 54% said they would report their symptoms to their coach or parents.
- 250,000 people under the age of 19 went to emergency departments with tremors in 2009, compared with 150,000 in 2001.
- In August, the National Football League (NFL) agreed to pay $ 765 million. US to settle a lawsuit filed by more than 4,500 players and their families, focusing on what the league knew about the dangers of repeated blows to the head.
- Researchers from the School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences have shown that footballers who have reached the age of 7 fall into the head, most of which occur in practice. The strength of absorbed takeovers is equivalent to the strength in high school.
When an athlete sustains a concussion:
- The athlete must immediately stop playing in a particular game or practice.
- The athlete must be accompanied and supervised by anyone at all times.
- Evaluation by a doctor, manual doctor and / or neurological specialist.
- When the condition of the athletes is improved and cleared of exercise, the athlete should begin only with light aerobic exercises, without exercise with other players.
- Full contact should occur only after the dissolution of the doctor.
- If the postoperative symptoms reappear, the athlete should return to the previous steps in the process.
Since most tremors are biomechanical in nature, it is important to consider the underlying condition: the misalignment of the upper spine and inflammation of the brain and soft tissues. It is imperative that even when secondary conditions, such as nausea, headaches and dizziness, stop, that the athlete decides their basic condition. In our practice, we have specialized correction and recovery spinal equipment to correct misalignment in the cervical (cervical) spine and correct its correct circular curvature. In addition, radiographs are important to determine the nature of the abnormal structure of the spine, since contusional conditions can occur, weeks, and sometimes years later in life. CT scan can display an image of the brain.
Take a home message? The tremors are serious, and it is necessary to take active steps with its handling, caution and care before returning to the sport. Subsequent concussions can lead to more brain edema and deterioration, which can often be irreversible. Strict rules should be observed, as many young athletes want to return to the game so much that they often do not communicate with their respective parents and coaches.
