As football season gears up this year, it's a very good time to focus on a improved understanding of and proper treatment for spinal cord injuries. Traumatic spinal cord injuries are an unfortunate reality of the game - and they are not exclusive to the formidable players of the NFL. In high school, college and beyond, this favorite sport presents a danger to those who participate.Football is a violent sport. For quite a few fans, this is portion of its appeal. For the players, nevertheless, the violence inherent in the game poses a critical well being danger. With this year's football season already begun, there is no time like the present to focus on the possible for spinal cord injury, measures for prevention, and methods of treatment. Spinal Cord InjuriesThe spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that carries messages amongst the brain and the rest of the body. It is protected by the vertebrae and extends into the lumbar spine. The signals that pass amongst the brain and th e body via the spinal cord are responsible for regulating our most vital functions: bowel and bladder manage, blood pressure, body temperature regulation and sensation.Injury to the spinal cord can occur as the outcome of tumors, developmental disorders, disease, and - what I'll be focusing on in this write-up - trauma. A physical trauma can cause strain on the spinal cord, compression of the spinal cord, or fracture of the vertebrae surrounding the spinal cord, resulting in harm to the cord itself. Oftentimes, when the spinal cord is injured, the messages can't pass amongst the brain and the body. When this is the case, vital bodily functions can fail - causing paralysis or even death.Football InjuriesHead, neck, and spine injuries are prevalent in football this stands to cause as falls and tough hits are an daily occurrence for all players - no matter what position they play or level of play (high school, college, or the NFL). If the angle and velocity of these impacts are just right, spinal cord injury is a natural outcome. Several sources present statistics relating to football-associated injuries. Although the exact figures in these reports might possibly vary, all sources agree that even just a single severe spinal cord injury is too quite a few. To be fair, I think equal focus should be paid to the athletes on the sidelines: cheerleaders. These men and ladies have progressed to complex acrobatics that send them hurtling by way of the air. Stunts like these can outcome in cheerleaders falling on their heads or backs, or with other cheerleaders landing on top of them. Clearly, these scenarios can outcome in head trauma or spinal cord injury, and these varieties of injuries are also an unfortunate reality of the sport of cheerleading.TreatmentAt my practice, we use quite a few methods for treating our patients with spinal cord injuries on Lengthy Island. The ultimate goal of these therapies is to decompress the spinal cord and stabilize the spinal column. Right after surgery, most of our spinal cord injury patients in the NYC metro also undergo physical therapy and other ancillary therapies. Thanks to advanced treatment methods, life expectancy and top quality of life for these patients might possibly be significantly improved. Victims of spinal cord injuries can go on to lead complete lives, even if they have lost the use of their arms and legs.PreventionWhile improving treatment for football-associated spinal cord injuries is a worthy goal, equal emphasis requirements to be placed on stopping the injuries from occurring in the initial location. I can present quite a few suggestions. * Coaches and trainers: Execute thorough physical exams to guarantee that no athletes are playing injured. Encourage education for coaches and staff so that they are ready to respond to a spine injury. Coach players to use methods of blocking and tackling that do not use the head as a "battering ram." Arrange for a physician to b e on the field throughout practice or a game in case of emergencies. Make confident that helmets are properly-fitted and that straps are tight.* Officials: Continue to enforce penalties against helmet-to-helmet speak to.* Players: Focus on keeping the head up, even when blocking and tackling. Trainers should work with players to strengthen neck muscles so that they can keep proper posture throughout the game. Players require to right away report "warning signs" of a spinal cord injury (such as numbness or tingling, pain or pressure in the head/neck/back, weakness or uncoordination, and difficulty breathing) - and should not return to the game.Measures can also be taken to avoid cheerleading injuries. Professionals recommend improving the facilities exactly where stunts are performed (for example, requiring floor mats and avoiding wet surfaces), limiting the participants who can execute far more unsafe stunts to those with far more knowledge, and requiring coaches to undergo specialized security education. It's necessary to note that cheerleading is not viewed as a sport by some schools, and thus is not as heavily-regulated as other athletics. A large number of have suggested that, till cheerleading is sufficiently regulated by all schools, adequate security improvements can't be created.
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