Preventing Future Deaths from Football Neck Injury
Are neck injuries, and even fatalities, a simple fact of footballing life? Is enough being done to stop them happening?
De’Antre Turman was a junior cornerback at Creekside High School in Fairburn, Georgia, who suffered blunt force trauma to the neck which resulted in broken vertebrae and what appears to have been a rapid death. The accident has clearly left Tre’s teammates, family, and friends devastated and provided a stark reminder that the game can be extremely dangerous, even if such accidents are rare. Tre was an experienced football player who had already got a scholarship offer on the table, and the accident doesn’t appear to have been caused by anthing other than normal play with tragic consequences.
College Football and High School Football Risks
High school footballers are not the only ones at risk, however. Indeed, college football players have almost three times the incidence of catastrophic neurological injury in the past thirty years, with 1.5 per 100,000 players compared to 0.5 amongst high school student players. Professional athletes are also routinely injured, albeit not often with fatal consequences.
Changing the Rules of Football to Improve Safety
Malcom Floyd’s injury was the result of another player driving his head into charging linebacker DeMeco Ryans, with Floyd prone for several minutes before being carefully stretchered off the field for assessment. Physicians from both teams came to his aid and the Chargers’ coach, Mike McCoy has said that Floyd is doing fine and that “All the tests right now look good.”
So what has been done to reduce head and neck injuries in football in recent years? Is there more that can be done? Are neck injuries simply unavoidable?
Understanding why and how neck injuries occur in American football means understanding how the game is played, including how players train and what kind of contact is considered allowable and desirable. One major change was the decision in the mid-1970s to prohibit the use of the head as an initial point of contact when tackling and blocking. This resulted in a massive drop in cervical spinal injuries, and even simple neck pain, without ruining enjoyment of the game in any way.
Reducing the Risk of Neck Injuries
Other steps that have been taken to reduce neck injuries on the football field include paying special attention to strengthening of the neck muscles during training, ensuring protective headgear and padding is worn at all times, and having trained medical staff on hand to minimise risk if an injury does occur. In a paper from 2003, Cross and Serenelli also cite flexibility training as an additional approach to minimise the risk of injury and help expedite recovery after injury.
Safety First for Future Football Stars
Watkins wrote in 1986 about the importance not only of the recent changes in game strategy and technique but also of proper on-field evaluation, transportation of injured players, and consultation after injury. Players, their families, and other coaching professionals in their lives, also ought to be made aware of the risks involved in football, how to minimise the risk of neck injury, and what to do in the event of such injury.
Spinal Stenosis in the Neck
The neck is particularly vulnerable to injury in contact sports due to the more flexible structure of the vertebrae, especially at C4-C6 where the proportion of the spinal cord in the spinal canal is greater than anywhere else in the spine. As such, any trauma to this area is more likely to impact the spinal cord itself, raising the risk of severe neurological damage and death.
Causes of Neck Injuries in Football
Even in cases that are not quite so immediately catastrophic, repeated trauma to the neck can result in chronic pain and earlier onset of arthritis and severe neck pain from disc degeneration and skeletal changes. The so-called ‘stinger’ is a relatively common neck injury in football where a cervical nerve root or brachial plexus injury results in neuropraxia and intense nerve pain. Cervical cord neuropraxia also occurs and is a more severe injury after hyperextension, hyperflexion or axial loading induces damage in the neck tissues.
Symptoms of Cervical Cord Neuropraxia
Cervical cord neuropraxia is estimated to occur in 0.2 players per 100,000 at the high school level and 2 per 100,000 at the collegiate football level. Symptoms include:
- Temporary neck pain
- Paraesthesias (abnormal sensations in the arms and hands)
- Motor weakness in the fingers
In most cases, these types of ‘stingers’ resolve quickly and fully some ten minutes to 48 hours after the injury occurs. However, players with existing cervical spinal stenosis are more likely to suffer cervical cord neuropraxis and so some have suggested routine screening of players to identify those who may have a higher risk of serious injury due to congenital factors. Persistent left neck and shoulder pain or right neck and shoulder pain in a footballer who has had repeated stingers should prompt an assessment, with new tools on offer to help make decisions over future returns to play. Such tools include the mean subaxial cervical space available for the cord (MSCSAC) which can indicate risk of developing chronic stinger syndrome.
Returning to Football After Neck Injury
Catastrophic neurological injury is usually a result of hyperflexion, such as in ‘spear tackling’ and players suffering this type of injury undergo a full neurological examination before being moved from the field or sidelines. Players may be fine after rest, physical therapy, and the use of some medications or natural treatments to relieve pain and persistent inflammation. However, premature use of anti-inflammatories may result in further injury as can the use of painkillers that then allow the athlete to return too soon to physical activity that strains the neck. In some cases spinal fusion and decompression surgery is necessary.
For any player, new or with years of experience, news of the death of a fellow player is a time for reflection on the game and the risks posed by playing. Any injured player must decide whether or not to return to competition, and in most cases subsequent neck injuries are rare. However, a serious neck injury from football is always possible, even with the improvements in safety over recent decades, as illustrated by the events of this past week.
References
Greenberg J, Leung D, Kendall J. Predicting chronic stinger syndrome using the mean subaxial space available for the cord index. Sports Health. 2011 May;3(3):264-7.
Dec KL, Cole SL, Dec SL. Screening for catastrophic neck injuries in sports. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2007 Jan;6(1):16-9.
Rihn JA, Anderson DT, Lamb K, Deluca PF, Bata A, Marchetto PA, Neves N, Vaccaro AR. Cervical spine injuries in American football. Sports Med. 2009;39(9):697-708.
Watkins RG. Neck injuries in football players. Clin Sports Med. 1986 Apr;5(2):215-46.
Cross KM, Serenelli C. Training and equipment to prevent athletic head and neck injuries. Clin Sports Med. 2003 Jul;22(3):639-67.
where To Cut Cialis At?
I have read so many posts about the blogger lovers however this post is really a good piece of writing, keep it up
stromectol 3 mg tablets price buy generic ivermectin online cheap ivermectin
whoah this blog is wonderful i really like reading your articles. Keep up the great paintings! You realize, a lot of people are hunting round for this info, you could help them greatly.
buy generic stromectol online generic stromectol 12 mg
stromectol 30mg buy stromectol usa
buy stromectol online https://stromectolusdt.com/
ivermectin pharmacy http://ivermectinuni.com/
https://ivermectinuni.com/ stromectol canada
http://ivermectinuni.com/ where to buy ivermectina 12mg
stromectol 0.5 mg order stromectol online order stromectol over the counter
штабелер электрический самоходный
http://shtabeler-elektricheskiy-samokhodnyy.ru
stromectol canadian pharmacy buy stromectol online ivermectin from canada
buy stromectol 12 mg ivermectin from canada
Αυτά είναι τα μαθήματα που διατίθενται δωρεάν για λήψη από την ιστοσελίδα μας. Καθώς περνούν οι μέρες θα προσθέτουμε περισσότερα μαθήματα και πόρους μάρκετινγκ. SEO Οι καλύτερες τεχνικές για να αυξήσετε την επισκεψιμότητα στον ιστότοπό σας Αναζητάτε έναν νέο τρόπο για να αυξήσετε την επισκεψιμότητα στον ιστότοπό σας; Σας καλύψαμε με το μάθημά μας για την αύξηση της επισκεψιμότητας στον ιστότοπό σας. Είναι ο τέλειος τρόπος για να γνωστοποιήσετε την επιχείρησή σας χωρίς να χρειάζεται να κάνετε κάτι άλλο. Μπορείτε να ξεκινήσετε ελέγχοντας αυτόν τον σύνδεσμο για να κατεβάσετε ένα δωρεάν μάθημα SEO σχετικά με τους διαφορετικούς τρόπους με τους οποίους μπορείτε να αυξήσετε την επισκεψιμότητα στον ιστότοπό σας. Κάντε κλικ για λήψη SEO Οι καλύτερες τεχνικές για να αυξήσετε την επισκεψιμότητα στον ιστότοπό σας Βήμα προς βήμα SEO για αρχάριους Ξεκινήστε να αναπτύσσετε τη στρατηγική SEO σας από την αρχή, χωρίς λάθη για να επιτύχετε εγγυημένη επιτυχία Κάντε κλικ για λήψη Βήμα προς βήμα SEO για αρχάριους SEO Audit Course Μάθετε πώς να βρείτε και να διορθώσετε τα πιο συνηθισμένα προβλήματα SEO και να κατατάξετε καλύτερα στο GoogleΚάντε κλικ για να κατεβάσετε το SEO Audit Course Advanced SEO Course. Αναβαθμίστε τις γνώσεις σας Εφαρμόστε προηγμένες γνώσεις στις στρατηγικές SEO σας για να τοποθετήσετε τους ιστότοπούς σας στις πρώτες θέσεις της Google. Τα backlinks δεν έχουν πεθάνει, απλώς αλλάζω τον τρόπο δημιουργίας τους για να κατατάξω καλύτερα τον ιστότοπό σας και να αποφύγω τις κυρώσεις από την Google. Αλλά το Google δεν είναι το παν, υπάρχουν τρόποι να προσελκύσετε τόνους επισκεψιμότητας στον ιστότοπό σας με άλλες μηχανές αναζήτησης. Κάντε κλικ για να κατεβάσετε το Advanced SEO Course. Αναβαθμίστε τις γνώσεις σας καταλληλότητα μαθημάτων seo seo sem μάρκετινγκ ενδιάμεση εκπαίδευση SEO cim SEO
самоходный ножничный подъемник
http://nozhnichnyye-podyemniki-dlya-sklada.ru/
PA
электро рохля с подъемным механизмом
https://samokhodnyye-elektricheskiye-telezhki.ru
generic viagra pills discount online pharmacy viagra best female viagra tablet in india
best online viagra cheap sildenafil tablets viagra order online australia
cheapest generic cialis australia what happens if a woman takes viagra or cialis cialis canada free trial
buy tadalafil 20mg cialis no prescription overnight shipping cialis doses
rx party cialis walgreen cialis price levitra vs cialis vs viagra
мачтовый подъемник
http://www.podyemniki-machtovyye-teleskopicheskiye.ru/
Copegus Arimidex Indinavir (Cipla Ltd)
can you buy female viagra over the counter viagra 200mg uk buy viagra pay with paypal
online medical stores sell tadalafil without medical prescription in india cialis savings card cialis and alcohol
Levitra Soft Aciphex Cilostazol
sildenafil 2.5 how to get viagra cheap buy viagra discover card
подъемник телескопический
https://podyemniki-machtovyye-teleskopicheskiye.ru
стол с подъемным механизмом
http://www.gidravlicheskiye-podyemnyye-stoly.ru/
Great information shared.eally enjoyed reading this post thank you author for sharing this post. – hey dude shoes for men
Metal scrap reclaiming Ferrous material satisfaction Iron material recovery and reuse
Ferrous scrap residue, Iron reclaiming services, Emissions control in metal recycling
Scrap metal recuperation Ferrous material storage Iron reprocessing yard
Ferrous metals trading, Iron and steel recovery and recycling, Scrap metal decommissioning
Metal pricing services Ferrous material recycling predictions Iron and steel scrapping yard
Ferrous material recycling business, Iron waste recovery and reprocessing, Scrap metal reclamation plant
hi!,I like your writing so much! share we communicate more about your post on AOL? I need a specialist on this area to solve my problem. May be that’s you! Looking forward to see you.
Scrap metal processing center Ferrous material regulations Scrap iron recycling solutions
Ferrous material machining, Iron waste reclaiming and repurposing, Metal reclamation and recycling yard
Of course, what a magnificent site and enlightening posts, I will bookmark your website.Have an awsome day!
Lovely just what I was searching for.Thanks to the author for taking his time on this one.
I’m gone to say to my little brother, that he should also
visit this website on regular basis to get updated from
latest gossip.
After all, what a great site and informative posts, I will upload inbound link – bookmark this web site? Regards, Reader.
Thank you for the auspicious writeup. It in reality used to be a entertainment account it. Glance advanced to far brought agreeable from you! By the way, how can we keep up a correspondence?
Please let me know if you’re looking for a author for your site. You have some really great posts and I believe I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d really like to write some material for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please blast me an e-mail if interested. Regards!
My brother recommended I might like this website.
He was totally right. This post actually made my day.
You cann’t imagine simply how much time I had spent for this
information! Thanks!
Great, thanks for sharing this blog article.Thanks Again. Fantastic.
Pharmacovigilance plays a crucial role in monitoring the safety of stromectol and detecting adverse drug reactions in real-world clinical settings. Healthcare providers are encouraged to report suspected adverse events associated with ivermectin tablets to regulatory authorities and pharmacovigilance systems to facilitate the timely identification and management of safety concerns. This proactive approach helps ensure that the benefits of stromectol outweigh its risks and contributes to the continuous improvement of drug safety surveillance and regulatory oversight.
Valuable info. Fortunate me I found your site unintentionally, and I’m shocked why this twist of fate didn’t took place earlier! I bookmarked it.