For years and years concussion in sport has almost been a
taboo when it comes to injury – it sounds potentially worse than something like
a sprained ankle but no one is really sure what it means or what to do if you
get it. So what do most people tend to do? Well of course, they play on! Let’s
say you’re playing rugby and you’re down on the scoreboard and you experience a
blow to the head in a tackle. You feel a little dazed, you’re not too sure what
just happened and suddenly the referee is asking if you can play on. You don’t
want to let your team mates down so you shake it off and continue the match...
This scenario is far from uncommon and underlines some of
the problems surrounding concussion in sport. There is more emphasis on
performance than safety when it comes to most sports as demonstrated by the
‘culture of resistance’ which faces young athletes today, and has done so for
years. Many players, both young and old, are subjected to the implicit
pressures of performance and therefore succumb to returning to play
prematurely, or worse, do not report their injury, instead choosing to play
through the pain, or confusion. This is inadvertently encouraged by the bravado
and competitive camaraderie which surrounds male-dominated, physical and often
violent sports such as rugby, American football and ice hockey.
Fortunately, new guidelines have emerged recently stating
that when athletes are suspected of having concussion, they should be taken out
of action immediately. This reflects the new public focus gained by sport
concussion over recent years due to the widespread concern regarding the risk
of developing long term mental-impairment. These new guidelines differ from their
older counterparts in the sense that they advocate a more individualised
assessment and management of injury. Whereas the severity of the concussion at
the time was once used as the factor which determined the time frame from
return to play, the emphasis is now on minimising any risks that could become apparent
in the long term.
This has undoubtedly come around as a result of payouts from
sporting bodies like NFL, who agreed to settle players’ concussion suits for
$765 million earlier this year. This will compensate more than 5,000 ex-players
who have been fighting for settlement for head-related injuries, and more money
has also been awarded to fund research into the links between head trauma
during sport and the delayed development of conditions such as Alzheimer’s and
dementia. Players argued in their law suits that NFL had known for over 75
years that concussion posed long-term health risks, but that they did not warn
either them or their coaches of it until June 2010. NFL have dismissed this,
saying that players have always known the risks of a violent game, but is this
a valid argument?
It is arguably evasive of NFL to use this reason as a
scapegoat as players may not always associate the game-to-game violence of a
sport with long term implications. If a player experiences an injury during a
game, particularly a head injury, his or her decision making ability is
impaired. If the referee or coach asks a player if he is okay to carry on,
should they trust an affirmative response? Absolutely not, and if an athlete
has torn his ACL on the field, you wouldn’t expect him to tape it up and play
on. The same applies for concussion, which is an injury that is now being taken
as seriously as it should have been for the last decade as people become more
aware of the long term consequences.
However, it is not just American football which has a high
concussion rate. Other sports such as ice hockey, lacrosse, wrestling, soccer,
basketball and rugby are all comparably risky when it comes to head trauma.
Protective sports equipment is highly recommended and helmets for example can
often guard against other injuries such as skull fractures and face injuries.
Alongside this, it is a good idea to have a protective insurance policy that
will cover you and your finances in the event of an accident. The potential
costs incurred by ongoing head trauma could be crippling, not to mention the
legal costs involved in taking a body such as NFL to court...
Whether you’re playing at home or abroad, protect yourself
now with one of our specialised, tailored and comprehensive policies and get a
quote today:
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