National Football League study prompts re-think on support for head injuries

23/11/2009

Contact sports are again under the spotlight as controversy grows in the United States over the frequency of head injuries suffered by football league players.

In a sign of increasing awareness of the dangers of head injury in American Football, more players and coaching staff are coming forward to talk about their experience of head injury in the sport and what support is available for affected players.

A recent study for the National Football League (NFL) showed that retired football players are more likely to suffer from memory disorders or the development of Alzheimer’s than the average population. Observers suggest that the findings are highly likely to be linked to the number of head traumas that can be suffered by players during their football careers. The storm of reaction to the study has also shown that NFL players often hide or play down the effects of concussion suffered during a game. Some players acknowledge that it can be difficult to know when a bump to the head is a concussion serious enough to mention to the coach or medical staff, or are keen to avoid informing anyone of symptoms in case they are pulled from the team.

"You get a concussion; they've got to take you out of the game. So if you can hide it and conceal it as much as possible, you pay for it the next day, but you'll be able to ... stay in the game.” - Washington Redskins fullback Mike Sellers.
- Associated Press

The controversy has provoked a debate about whether the NFL and its teams could do more to prevent serious concussive injuries – whilst still continuing with one of American’s most popular sports. Ideas include more advanced protective gear including better helmets, face guards and padding; better pitch side medical procedures to spot when a player needs treatment for concussion and more research to measure the full extent of the problem.

One thing is for certain- the issue has been raised to the highest level of awareness in America and shows no sign of dying down, many weeks after publication of the report. This could change the attitude of a generation – already many are calling for the end of the media glamorising violent aspects of the game. And for the players themselves – the debate is likely at least to result in better medical care for acute treatment in the future, even if the risk of concussive injury can never be fully prevented.

Long term damage is not the only danger. According to a study reported back in 2007 in The American Journal of Sports Medicine, American football is associated with the most catastrophic brain injuries of all sports, including amongst high school and collegiate football players.

Perhaps the best outcome for the recent upsurge in interest is that new measures are now filtering down to school and college level teams, to better assess the impact of concussion, enabling players to develop an understanding of the issue at a much earlier age.

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