Football is finally back! Everyone is excited to cheer on their team and everyone always thinks that this might be the year that they win it all in the first few weeks of the season; when anything seems possible. With one week down, though there have been a few noticeable changes in some aspects of the game. One of these is the emphasis on the new NFL concussion protocol. This seems like a great step for player safety, but what exactly does it entail? How long will players who suffer concussions be required to sit out?
First, what is a concussion? Concussions have become an often discussed injury in the media since former players have come out and said that they are experiencing linger symptoms from repeated hits to the head from playing professional football. Players have complained of memory loss, depression and a few have even committed suicide. A concussion is any injury to the brain caused by biomechanical forces to the head, back, spine or neck. A concussion usually results in transient impairment of neurological function, and sometimes there may be a loss of consciousness. Often there will be observable symptoms such as:
- Loss of Consciousness
- A player slow to get up from a hit
- Motor coordination problems
- Blank or vacant look
- Disorientation
- Clutching the head after contact
Players also may report:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Balance difficulties
- Nausea
- Amnesia
- Cognitive slowness
- Light/Sound sensitivity
- Disorientation
- Visual disturbance
- Tinnitus
Athletic trainers and team doctors who are both on the sidelines as well as upstairs are being trained to watch for any of these observable symptoms and to enter any player who exhibits them into the NFL concussion protocol. The NFL’s concussion protocol consists of a five-step process that each player must pass before they can return to game play. There is no timetable listed in the concussion protocol, and this is deliberate since each concussion is different and must be treated individually. The steps from the NFL are as follows:
Rest and recovery. Players may stretch and work on their balance, but they don’t work out beyond that. In addition, they’re advised against spending time on computers, any electronic device and social media. They don’t take part in team meetings.
Light aerobic exercise. Under supervision of the team’s medical staff, the player can start cardiovascular exercise, such as riding a stationary bike and using a treadmill, and work on more dynamic stretching and balancing. The workload is increased gradually and halted entirely if concussion-related symptoms recur. Players can attend team meetings and study film.
Continued aerobic exercise, introduction of strength training. Building gradually on the work of step 2, the player can start weight training.
Football-specific work. The player adds non-contact football drills, such as throwing, catching and running to his repertoire of exercise. No contact allowed with other players, tackling dummies or sleds.
Full football activity, full clearance. The player resumes practicing with the team, with no limitations. Once the team physician clears him to complete, the player is examined by the independent neurological consultant, who also reviews any relevant neurological tests.
The NFL is taking a hard look at trying to prevent and better treat concussion in all of their players. It is commendable that they are finally implementing something that will help to curb this huge problem in America’s most popular sport. It will be seen whether this makes a difference in the outcomes of games as well as health outcomes for players as the season goes on.
For those who may be interested, PBS has put together a concussion tracker that shows concussions sustained by players broken down in many different ways. You can find it here:
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/football-insider/wp/2015/08/29/explaining-nfl-concussion-protocol-the-five-step-map-for-rgiiis-return/
http://images.nflplayers.com/mediaResources/lyris/pdfs/NFL_Diagnosis_Mgmt_Concussion.pdf
