Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - North Mississippi - (Page 27)

WHAT TO DO Forty-eight states have laws that require coaches to take athletes out of the game after a concussion. The laws also afﬁrm that athletes can't play until they've been cleared by a medical professional. How long that takes depends on the individual situation, Jordan says. "Most concussions will resolve in seven to 10 days," he explains. "Some take longer." Once the symptoms have gone away, the athlete can begin to slowly return to activity, he adds. That means progressively increasing activity and training to make sure symptoms don't reappear. "They should return to competition only when they are asymptomatic at rest and on assertion- and are not on any medications for the symptoms," Jordan notes. It's important, Herring adds, for coaches, trainers and parents to be educated about concussions and to take advantage of free resources, such as the CDC's Heads Up program. "In youth sports, there aren't always trained medical professionals on the ﬁeld," he says. "I don't expect (coaches and parents) to make a diagnosis, but look at a checklist." What makes this crucial is knowing that young athletes may not always be honest about their symptoms. In addition, Herring says, coaches should adopt a team concussion policy. "Athletes sometimes listen to their parents, but they always listen to their coach," says Herring, an advocate for head trauma legislation to protect youth athletes. "Everyone's tough, but no one has a tough brain ... Reward robust reporting. Make it part of the team culture." Is My Kid Too Young? The more exposure a child has to contact sports, the higher the risk for repeat concussions. So, at what age is it appropriate to introduce a child to contact sports? "No data suggests a perfect age," says Walt Wilkins, a certified athletic trainer who manages North Mississippi Medical Center's Sports Medicine Program. "The important thing is that they have proper supervision, proper coaching, proper technique and proper conditioning." Wilkins recommends considering a child's individual maturity and physical abilities and looking to each sport's governing body for recommendations. For example, USA Football recommends contact drills around age 6 or 7. And some soccer organizations suggest holding off on teaching kids to head the ball until they're at least 8. call heals can cause serious and lasting damage or even death. For moms and dads concerned about the lifelong neurological impact of contact sports, the good news is that as long as you take the right steps after a brain injury, there's little to worry about, Jordan says. One signiﬁcant factor, he says, is the length of time between concussions. "Someone having three concussions in six months is different than someone having three concussions in a six-year period," he explains. "One thing parents and athletes should be concerned about is that each time, it takes longer to recover. And it takes less impact to cause [a concussion]." Get Back in the Game NMMC's Sports Medicine Program provides certified athletic trainers to high schools, Itawamba Community College and local communities at no charge. NMMC and local orthopedic surgeons also provide a free Saturday Morning Injury Clinic during football season. Call 800-THE DESK or visit www.nmhs.net/ sports_medicine.php to learn more. While brain injuries are scary, it's important for parents to not overreact, he adds. With the rise of childhood obesity, Herring says, sports can be incredibly healthy for kids. "There are consequences to not letting kids play sports," he notes. "Youth sports are an important part of physical and social development. And injury is an inevitable part of an active lifestyle. ... It's how you manage the ﬁrst concussion and treat the athlete that will make a difference." SUM MER 2014 27 http://www.nmhs.net/sports_medicine.php

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - North Mississippi

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - North Mississippi
Contents
From the CEO
Back in Action
Top Honors
Stress SOS
The Truth About Sunscreen
The Transformers
Get Your Head in the Game
The Journey Continues
On the Cover
The Foot Follies
Friendly Fat
Virtual Health
The Eyes Have It
Worth the Weight
Small Wonders
Catch the Spirit

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - North Mississippi