Concussion Warning! Spread the Word!

Thanks to a good friend of mine I was privliged to attend an event in Dallas yesterday put on by the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University School of Medicine.  Chris Nowinski presented their research and I was amazed by how far they have come.  You can just google the program if you want more information but here are the main points.  Concussions like any other injury if not treated properly meaning allowing full recovery can begin to compound.  Through studing the brains of athletes who have died after multiple concussions they have seen actual chemical changes to the brain with damage to certain parts of the brain.  They have also differentiated this phenomenon from "punch drunk" disease that boxers can get.  They have a lot of research and are still working to determine earlier signs and symptoms but for now it is vital that we begin to give injuries to the brain top priority and allow the proper amount of time for the brain to heal prior to jumping back into activity.   We will be working with Chris's group to try and set up some events in California to educate our athletes, coaches and trainers about the dangers of letting athletes with concussions continue to participate but I want to get the basic information out immediately.  With all of the publicity that concussions have been getting, I realize that some athletes are deciding not to report any concussions because they don't want to be held out or have other players telling them not to tell because they will be held out.  This is a very dangerous situation, we need to determine who has a brain injury and make sure they receive the appropriate treatment and recovery for it.