Head Injuries on the Football Field

Tim Larsen for The New York TimesRunning backs and quarterbacks suffer the hardest and most severe blows to the head, researchers have found

The reason as to why I believe this article is important to Division three Athletic Trainers, Athletes and Coaches is because it seems to be the common belief that the only issue with football is that one hit that gives you a concussion. However it is important that Athletic Trainers, Athletes and Coaches realize that the multiple impact forces that the athletes are experiencing on a day to day basis are having a huge impact on the athletes overall health. The forces can and are making small differences in the athletes neural pathways within the brain. This research has opened the doors to the development of different helmet types, designed around the athletes position. This in turn could help decrease the impact force experienced by the brain. 

It is interesting to me because both linemen and linebackers are stated to be the athletes that sustain the greatest amounts of  hits during the season, however when we are watching football on Sundays as viewers we tend to only see concussions within the position of either the quarterback or running backs. This is because they are the positions which research has found to sustain the hardest hits during the season. These hard hits lead the athletes to experience the symptoms associated with a concussion. The interesting point though, as the article states, is that the linemen and the linebackers are the ones who sustain the most hits throughout the season. Just because the hits aren't hard enough to necessarily cause a concussion, they are still hard enough to cause damage that is affecting these players later on in life.

As an Athletic Training student, I believe that it is important that I know how impact forces can affect an athlete. Just because they don't have a concussion, does not mean that there in not some sort of alteration occurring within the athletes neurological system. It is very important that this research continues in order to continue the development of different helmet styles based on the positions. This will help in the prevention of life long affects of the impact forces.

If you would like to view the original article from the New York Times, click here.

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Owch, this hurts...can you please take a look at it??

The most common phrase that I have heard ever since anyone and everyone has learned about how I am studying the wonderful profession known as Athletic Training. This blog is an informational tool for those athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, athletic directors or even family and friends, who want to learn more about the in's and out's of the body. So much information is provided out on the world wide web that hopefully my blog, which is directed mostly to Division Three athletes, will allow for quick access to information pertaining to the individual athlete.

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