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PDS works to combat concussions
Brian Sunberg, X
Contributing Writer
Are you one of the many PDS students who will suffer from a concussion this year? There have already been 13 concussions this year out of an expected 25 to 30.
A concussion is a serious injury to the brain or spinal cord, caused by a fall or violent collision, and is often hard to detect immediately. Concussions are particularly common among athletes, and frequently go unnoticed until these players suffer another head injury in addition the initial one, and are then required to remain on the sidelines for months.
While almost 30 concussions per year may seem like a very high number, a combination of added awareness of the symptoms and increased numbers of young students playing sports makes this number appear inflated, according to PDS Athletic Trainer, Luke Hensel. Lately, news concerning concussions has been well covered, and often featured on television or in newspapers and online articles, which has increased awareness of the injuries. The most commonly reported symptoms of a concussion are headaches, dizziness, or feeling as though your head is “in a fog.” Losing consciousness is actually one of the least prevalent concussion symptoms, contrary to popular belief.
Fortunately for PDS athletes, the school uses the most current resources available to prevent and treat concussions, which allow faculty to take a more preventative stance in their approach to head injuries. PDS utilizes ImPACT testing to monitor a concussion victim’s recovery progress.
ImPACT is a baseline cognitive test that shows a student’s brain function, which can be used in the event of a brain injury as a comparison to determine how severe an injury may be. After sustaining an injury, ImPACT can help medical staff determine when a student can return to normal academic activity or play sports.
In terms of student-athlete safety, PDS is ahead of surrounding schools. There have been athletic safety guidelines in place at PDS for four years already, while the State of New Jersey just passed legislation requiring such safety protocols in all schools this year. Ideally, these guidelines will allow teachers to help students modify their schedules to accommodate injuries and to help them spot and report symptoms to the school nurse or athletic trainer. Our school’s counselors and learning specialist also work with students to cope with their injury during recuperation.
Now that athletic coaches, nurses, teachers, and trainers have a better awareness of concussion symptoms, these injuries can be spotted more quickly, before a player loses consciousness and exhibits more severe symptoms. Posters with information on concussion prevention are placed prominently in the PDS lockers rooms, and sports that are considered high-risk, such as ice hockey, utilize informational videos. All coaches are also required to complete concussion training to ensure that there is always someone present to identify symptoms and prevent any dangerous situations that might occur if a concussion goes untreated.
Mr. Hensel advises that all students report their own or a teammate’s symptoms so that they can be treated before receiving another head injury. There have already been instances this year in which an injured athlete’s teammate has reported odd behavior to the athletic trainer and have potentially saved their teammate from suffering symptoms far more severe. It is important that athletes listen to their coaches’ instruction during practice, to ensure that everyone remains safe while improving their skills.
Posted by Spokesman Editors
on December 21, 2011. Filed under December 2011,Sports.
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