Dr. Mehmet Oz may write a column that appears in national newspapers and be a TV host and Mike Roizen, MD maybe chair the Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic, but their column awhile back struck a nerve with The Hockey Doctors, especially for those of us who are parents. What happens in your head and to your body when you sustain a sports concussion? A concussion or minor Traumatic Brain Injury occurs when you sustain a serious blow, to the head or body, which causes your brain to malfunction. The scene is not pretty and dreadfully fearful for the athlete and those watching, while holding their collective breath. According to the doctors, your skull stops suddenly, but your brain keeps moving. The most serious occurrence is when an athlete is hit from the side or what maybe considered a glancing blow, to the head or body, which whips the head in a turning fashion, the medical profession calls “Rotational Acceleration.” The force of the blow disrupts the neuron-to-neuron signaling the brain that blood flow has been altered and begins to shutdown. The impacted player loses consciousness and begins to assume the fencing pose. The arm on the side of the head that was damaged is extended straight in front of him, while the other arm is brought to his side. What has happened is the connections within the brain are disconnected. Research also suggests that the damage may repair, to a degree, but not necessarily totally. And there’s the rub. How much damage was done and what are the long-term effects of that initial damage? The action you will see taking place is referred to a primitive response which disconnects the brain temporarily, it is hoped. All it takes is a movement of “seven (7) millimeters” and you do not have to lose consciousness. To put that in understandable terms (for me), that is the size of a baby’s little finger nail. Drs. Oz and Roizen recommend you wear a helmet at all times when riding a bicycle, rollerblading or playing a contact sport. The Hockey Doctors would like to add: Go to the ER immediately when a concussion is suspected, ask them to do an fMRI, or a PET scan, rather than the normal, CT scan or MRI. There is a difference! Do not return to competition for a year. If the concussion is a grade 2 or 3, retire permanently from the sport. Your brain is a terrible organ to lose! HOCKEY DOCTORS THE HOCKEY DOCTORS
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 17:54:32 +0000