Dorsey Levens has produced a video titled “Bell-Rung” (video preview previous post). This documentary takes a look at some Atlanta area NFL’ers and their battle with the brain injuries associated with football. Along with the video you will see in the USA Today article that players are more concerned about awareness and long-term health help from the league;
“The lawsuit is more about raising awareness on concussions and trying to light a fire under the NFL to help these guys who are struggling,” said Levens, a Comcast Southeast NFL analyst. “I found there’s a great need for guys, especially with health care.
“You envision playing pro football for however many years; making some good money; retiring and enjoying life. And the quality of life is not what it needs to be for a lot of these guys.
“I’m just trying to get them the medical help they need — sooner than later.”
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The AP produced some results from a survey about concussions in the NFL; to no ones surprise the willingness to hide the injury is overwhelming. What is not known is whether or not this is a significant change from more than a decade ago. What is apparent is that players are becoming more aware of the brain injury;
The players tended to indicate they are more aware of the possible long-term effects of jarring hits to their heads than they once were. In a sign of the sort of progress the league wants, five players said that while they would have tried to conceal a concussion during a game in 2009, now they would seek help.
Some of the results;
- Specifically regarding concussions, 28 of the 44 players think playing in the NFL is safer now than in 2009, while 13 think it’s the same, and two think it’s more dangerous. One wasn’t sure. Those who think safety has improved gave credit to the rise in awareness; more fines for illegal hits; this season’s changes to kickoff rules that have cut down on the number of returns; and the new labor contract’s reduction in the amount of contact allowed in practice.
- Asked whether more can be done to protect players from head injuries, 18 players said “yes,” and 24 said “no.” Two did not respond.
AP Sports Writers Bob Baum, Tim Booth, Tom Canavan, Chris Duncan, Josh Dubow, R.B. Fallstrom, Dave Ginsburg, Fred Goodall, Pat Graham, Will Graves, Stephen Hawkins, George Henry, Chris Jenkins, Joe Kay, Jon Krawczynski, Larry Lage, Mark Long, Rob Maaddi, Michael Marot, Brett Martel, Janie McCauley, Steve Reed, Andrew Seligman, Dave Skretta, Howard Ulman, Teresa M. Walker, Dennis Waszak Jr., John Wawrow, Bernie Wilson, Steven Wine, and Tom Withers contributed to this report.
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During a Google search today there was a Yahoo! Contributor Network post about how to deal with headaches from a concussion. The advice is solid but not far-reaching enough, a testament to how we are not all on the same page. The three easy steps that the author provided were;
- Limit light and noise
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Seek medical attention
What is not on there but the key element to management is REST, complete rest. Both physical and cognitive rest is extremely important to allow the brain, the injured organ, to recover. Going back to school, work or sitting in front of a video game is exactly what is not needed following a concussion.
Please do me a favor and include complete rest into any advice you give to someone who was concussed.
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Another law suit against the NFL, via New York Times;
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the former Miami Dolphins teammates Patrick Surtain and Oronde Gadsden and 19 other players. It accuses the N.F.L. of deliberately omitting or concealing years of evidence linking concussions to long-term neurological problems. The former players are seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages.
The Concussion Blog 