Sports injuries regularly make the news. Last year, the topic of concussions and brain injury in football and hockey were widely discussed and, in some instances, debated. While contact sports like these are often thought of when talking about concussions for both kids and adults, baseball seems fairly innocuous. However, parents and players should know the facts so that injury can be avoided if at all possible, and properly treated if unavoidable.
The rate of sports injuries for children and adults alike are high, and climbing. While concussion rates vary across youth sports, rugby, hockey and football have the highest rate of injury risk. To put that into perspective, the average child suffers a concussion no more than one time in around 67 hours of playing the sport. For kids that play rugby, multiply that by 18; for kids that play hockey, the instance is five times greater and for football, twice as high. With approximately 45 million youth playing sports each year, that equals a huge amount of sports injuries.
When it comes to baseball, parents have typically thought of the sport having a very low risk of these types of injuries. While there have been occasional reports of severe concussions in baseball, the sport has maintained a reputation for very low risk. However, that might be changing. After baseball player Ryan Feel suffered behavior changes that ultimately led to taking his own life, he was found to have suffered from concussion-related brain changes, shining a spotlight on concussions in sports that have not typically been considered “high risk”. In fact, Major League Baseball banned homeplate collisions in 2015, citing concerns about concussions and player safety. And while the numbers of kids signing up to play hockey and Pop Warner football have decreased, the number of kids playing baseball has risen, no doubt in part due to safety concerns.
With no shortage of kids playing sports, injuries will happen. Recognizing and properly treating the injury may be the key to returning to optimal health and reducing the chance of complications down the road. Sometimes subtle and hard to diagnose, it is important to be aware of the signs of a concussion in the event that a child takes a hit while on the field. Typical symptoms include confusion, memory loss, dizziness, blurred vision, headache and nausea. But be aware that moodiness, trouble sleeping and anxiety can also be symptoms. Most important, if someone has sustained an injury or concussion, it is imperative that they rest and not play, despite how much they may want to, with lingering headache.
Another possible treatment plan for concussion is through the use of Chiropractic Neurology. Chiropractic Neurology identifies the areas of the brain that has been injured and seeks to promote new connections into the damaged areas, thereby improving brain function. In the specific case of concussions, symptoms can linger due to swelling of neurons in the injured area of the brain. Through the use of various safe and non-invasive techniques, the specific areas of the brain that were affected form new connections, leading to a reduction in symptoms with the ultimate goal of restoring the brain to its best working state. Chiropractic Neurology has been an extremely beneficial option for patients seeking personalized care without drugs or invasive techniques.
Have you or someone you know suffered from a concussion or brain injury? Careful evaluation is imperative and we are here to help. If you would like more information about how Chiropractic Neurology can help you, please contact Dr Ellis and his team today at the Georgia Chiropractic Neurology Center.