September 28, 2008
In This Issue...
- What's New at Sports Injury Info
- Feature Article - "Are Your Children Safe In Sports?"
- Sports Injury Questions
- Patella Femoral Solutions is Coming!
Whats New at Sports Injury Info
Wow - It has been awhile time since my last ezine. Since I last published The Athletic Trainers Corner, a lot has been going on. I won't bore you with all of the details of moving across the country and setting up shop in Arizona, but now that I am settled in, I will resume the normal monthly newsletter schedule.The site continues to grow, with new additions daily through the "Sports Injury Question" section. I am currently working on adding more information on treatment, rehabilitation, and new sports injuries. And I am preparing to launch the newest E-book, "Patella Femoral Solutions". So, without further delay, on with this months feature article on concussions in high school sports.
Feature Article
Are Your Children Safe In Sports?
I am
an information junkie - I constantly look for new information to put on
the site, and to keep
up to date on the current things happening in the sports medicine
world. In my search for news, I get a lot of Google Alerts
on various topics. Yesterday, a link to a
tragic article came
into my inbox. It got me to thinking about a lot of things.The first thought that came to my mind was the tragic nature of the situation. A high school athlete who died from second impact syndrome. This is an injury that occurs when an athlete suffers a second concussion within a close proximity of the first. The second impact may be very minor, however, because the brain is already traumatized from the first injury, it cannot recover and it becomes life threatening.
The sad part about it is that second impact can be avoided, if not completely prevented. With proper identification of the first injury, and proper management, the second impact never happens.
I read through the article, wondering what could be done to prevent such a thing from happening. There is no use in pointing blame on the "sports management spcecialist", the coaches, the school, or the parents.
Education is the Key
The simple fact is that everyone who is involved with sports needs to be aware of the deadly possiblities that concussions and head injuries can have if not managed correctly.If you have children who play football, or soccer, or hockey - any sport that has the potential for contact, I want you to have the information you need to make sure your kids are safe. And if you have friends with kids who play contact sports, pass this along.
The hardest part about managing head injuries is actually recognizing the problem. Many times, espeically in football, getting your bell rung is considered part of the game. And while that istrue, it isn't something that can be overlooked.
Encourage your athletes to make sure that they tell someone when they have dizziness, confusion, headache, or any other abnormal feelings after contact. Make sure that they know that they won't be seen as being weak and that it is important to their health.
If your child does suffer from a concussion, they should be seen by a doctor. Every physician is going to be different in how they treat concussions - some may be very conservative, others may be aggressive. At a minimum, a person should be symptom free for at least 7 days before they return to sports - and then a gradual return is a good idea. Symptoms include any type of headache, confusion, trouble concentrating, and trouble sleeping.
Unfortunately, many times concussions and minor head injuries are overlooked as part of the game. It just takes one tragedy that may have been avoided to bring us back to reality.
For more information on sport related concussions, diagnosis, and management, visit the National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement on Sport Related Concussions.
Sports Injury Questions
Sports Injury Questions is one of the most visited areas of the entire Sports Injury Info site. It is a place for you to find the answers, encouragement, and recommendations for your sports injury.Here are just a few of the most recent questions posted.
Knee Questions
Question
- Knee Replacement (scar tissue)
I had knee replacement two month ago, My knee is flexible, but the
outside skin is so tender, cant hardly touch it, and where the scar is
there is a knot....
ACL
reconstruction, dealing with the pain!
I had surgery in septemper. now im just 2 weeks post op and walking
somewhat.
i still am unable to get a decent nights sleep. i
don't experience knee ...
Question
- Tear ACL (waiting on surgery)
well i'm 14years old and i tear my ACL its been 5 months and i cant get
operate because im sitll growing so i want how many days will i spent
in the hospital?...
Question
- PF Syndrome (correcting lateral tilt)
I read your article on 4 vs. 22. If the patella is tilted laterally,
what hip exercises should be done in order to help bring the patella in
medially?...
Shoulder Questions
Question
- Rotator Cuff (decreased pain before surgery)
Sounds like by the time you get this, I would have already had my
surgery, but I would still like to know the answer. I'm a massage
therapist and have ...
explanation
of shoulder injury/surgery (Bankart Repair and Capsulorraphy)
my 16 year old son just underwent a capsulorraphy and bankart repair to
his right shoulder with complete avulsion of his ligaments and
stripping off of ...
Question
- Shoulder Surgery (SLAP and Rotator Cuff Repair)
I recently had arthroscopic surgery on my dominant shoulder, with the
following diagnoses: 1. Labrum Tear SLAP Lesion "9 o'clock - 3
o'clock".
2. Full ...
Ankle Questions
pain
and swelling twelve weeks post sprain
I was wondering how long pain and swelling normally last post ankle
sprain. I had a severe ankle spain approx 12 weeks ago and still
experience pain with ...
prudent
time to remove orif of ankle
I
broke my tibula, fibia and talus on July 8 and had ORIF (open
reduction, internal fixation) the next day.
I had
an infection that was discovered ...
ligament
damage??? (jones fracture and ankle sprain)
6 months ago I had a jones fracture and a sprained ankle. Now when ever
I play sports that required running a half hour til an hour my whole
ankle stiffens ...
Patella Femoral Solutions is Coming!
One of the most common questions submitted on the site is about patella femoral syndrome, and the best exercises to treat this condition. I have taken these questions to heart, and on November 1st, I will be releasing the second ebook in the "Solutions" Series from Sports Injury Info.Patella femoral syndrome is a frustrating and aggravating sports injury. Many people struggle through years of knee pain, with little success with physical therapy. The overwhelming people I talk to tell me about leg lifts and quad sets, and wonder why they haven't seen any improvements.
Patella Femoral Solutions is not your typical knee exercises. In fact, you probably have never seen some of the things in this book. But they are the exercises I have used with countless PFS patients over the last 10 years, and they have all seen improvements. These are the best exercises for knee pain caused by patella femoral syndrome.
The official launch of the book will be announced on November 1st in a special edition of The Athletic Trainers Corner. Right now, I am looking for a few "test subjects" to review the book and provide feedback on the content. If you have suffered from PFS, or are interested in reviewing the book, please either reply to this email, or use the contact form on the website.
Until Next Time,
Bart
Stay off the Sidelines!
Sports Injury Info