subject: Nfl Forms Concussion Committee [print this page] Many sports enthusiasts make it a point to follow the action of the National Football League (NFL) in the United States. The rivalries, the history, and the camaraderie of the sport all combine to make an enticing and engaging sport to be viewed and followed extensively. The physical nature of the game adds an element of danger and excitement, but as many fans and players of the sport can acknowledge that the level of physical contact and the seriousness of the injuries has increased significantly, especially in recent years. Many older players find themselves with serious physical ailments as byproducts of their time spent battling it out on the gridiron; often, these players require extreme physical therapy for their knees, elbows, shoulders, necks, backs, and extremities.
This last week, the NFL Players Association announced that they would form a committee to investigate the serious nature of one of the most common and potentially serious injuries. The council will investigate the effects of concussions and head trauma on players, both in the short term and long term. Studies have been planned to take into account several factors surrounding the concussions, including diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, as well as the level and type of rehabilitation used by the players. The ultimate goal is an attempt to see if brain injuries due to concussions suffered while playing can be reduced or eliminated.
These studies are not the first of their kind. Many studies done at the collegiate and professional level have examined the amount of force sustained by the average player during their games. Some estimates put the amount of force of an average hit around 40G, 40 times the force of gravity. Some hits players suffer can be as high as 120G, approximately as much force as a serious car crash. Often, players suffer at least a few of these extreme hits per game. It is worth noting that with these types of injuries, the effects are cumulative; the more hits on the same area, the greater the ultimate damage is sustained. Players are often not back on the field within minutes of receiving a minor concussion, putting their bodies and their brains at serious risk for permanent damage.
These effects are not to be taken lightly either. Symptoms manifest themselves early in the form of memory loss, confused feelings, depression, or a limit in the range of motion. Latent effects include extreme memory loss, difficulty concentrating, confusion, further depression, and limited mobility. Essentially, all of the early effects present themselves later, only the body is not as young or healthy and able to deal with the side effects of a traumatic brain injury.
To this end, the NFL Players Association hopes that this commission will be able to provide effective research and insight into these types of injuries. Traumatic brain injuries are often severely debilitating injuries, causing many restrictions on a person's daily life. Often, there are several expensive medical treatments available, but these may be prohibitively expensive. Many individuals affected by a brain injury seek to develop a brain injury lawsuit to properly receive monetary compensation for their pain and suffering.
