As football season gears up this year, it really is a superb time to concentrate on a superior understanding of and suitable remedy for spinal cord injuries. Traumatic spinal cord injuries are an unfortunate reality of the game - and they're not exclusive to the formidable players of the NFL. In high school, college and beyond, this famous sport presents a threat to those who participate.Football is a violent sport. For a great deal of fans, this is component of its appeal. For the players, still, the violence inherent in the game poses a serious well being threat. With this year's football season already begun, there is no time like the present to concentrate on the prospective for spinal cord injury, measures for prevention, and procedures of remedy. Spinal Cord InjuriesThe spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that carries messages among the brain and the rest of the physique. It is protected by the vertebrae and extends into the lumbar spine. The signals that pass among th e brain and the physique through the spinal cord are responsible for regulating our most crucial functions: bowel and bladder control, blood pressure, physique temperature regulation and sensation.Injury to the spinal cord can take place as the result of tumors, developmental disorders, illness, and - what I'll be focusing on in this article - trauma. A physical trauma can result in 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 cannot pass among the brain and the physique. When this is the case, crucial bodily functions can fail - causing paralysis or even death.Football InjuriesHead, neck, and spine injuries are common in football this stands to reason as falls and tough hits are an everyday occurrence for all players - no matter what position they play or level of play (high school, college, or the NFL). If t he angle and velocity of these impacts are just perfect, spinal cord injury is a natural result. Many different sources provide statistics regarding football-related injuries. Even though the exact figures in these reports could differ, all sources agree that even just a single severe spinal cord injury is too a great deal of. To be fair, I think equal attention should really be paid to the athletes on the sidelines: cheerleaders. These guys and girls have progressed to complicated acrobatics that send them hurtling by way of the air. Stunts like these can result in cheerleaders falling on their heads or backs, or with other cheerleaders landing on leading of them. Clearly, these scenarios can result in head trauma or spinal cord injury, and these sorts of injuries are also an unfortunate reality of the sport of cheerleading.TreatmentAt my practice, we use a few procedures for treating our patients with spinal cord injuries on Long Island. The ultimate goal of these therapie s is to decompress the spinal cord and stabilize the spinal column. Immediately after surgery, most of our spinal cord injury patients in the NYC metro also undergo physical therapy and other ancillary therapies. Thanks to advanced remedy procedures, life expectancy and excellent of life for these patients could be drastically 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 remedy for football-related spinal cord injuries is a worthy goal, equal emphasis demands to be placed on stopping the injuries from occurring in the initial place. I can provide a few suggestions. * Coaches and trainers: Carry out thorough physical exams to ensure 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 procedures of blocking and tackling that do not use the head as a "battering ram." A rrange for a physician to be on the field throughout practice or a game in case of emergencies. Make sure that helmets are properly-fitted and that straps are tight.* Officials: Continue to enforce penalties against helmet-to-helmet make contact with.* Players: Concentrate on keeping the head up, even when blocking and tackling. Trainers should really operate with players to strengthen neck muscles so that they can preserve suitable posture throughout the game. Players need to have to promptly report "warning signs" of a spinal cord injury (such as numbness or tingling, discomfort or pressure in the head/neck/back, weakness or uncoordination, and difficulty breathing) - and should really not return to the game.Measures can also be taken to prevent cheerleading injuries. Authorities suggest improving the facilities where stunts are performed (for example, requiring floor mats and avoiding wet surfaces), limiting the participants who can carry out alot more unsafe stunts to th ose with alot more encounter, and requiring coaches to undergo specialized safety education. It is essential to note that cheerleading is not thought to be a sport by some schools, and therefore is not as heavily-regulated as other athletics. A great many have recommended that, until cheerleading is sufficiently regulated by all schools, sufficient safety improvements cannot be created.
No comments:
Post a Comment