Concussions in Kids May Cause Brain Changes that Last for Months

With the Super Bowl just a day away, there are a lot of stories in the news about concussion and brain injury. This is not just a football problem but a very serious one for snow sports athletes as well. New research is showing that the impact of concussion on kids can last for months and can have impact years from now. 

MSF has provided a handout you can use with your snow athlete Snow Safety: Protect Your Head 

Please also consider watching the following films as they provide good information about brain injury, current research and what can happen to athletes. 

• The Crash Reel is a good film for kids and parents to see. This is the dramatic story of one unforgettable athlete, Kevin Pearce; one eye-popping sport, snowboarding; and one explosive issue, traumatic brain injury. Through 20 years of astounding action and verité footage, the documentary chronicles the epic rise of snowboarder Kevin Pearce which culminates in a life-changing crash and a comeback story with a difference. This story does not end with Kevin standing on the Olympic platform, instead it documents his acceptance and realization of what his life now is because of the brain injury. Along the way, you will learn a lot more about brain injury as well as meet athletes that choose not to stop and now have significantly more impairment.

• A League of Denial: Documentary by PBS on brain injury in football. Startling research that shows that slamming into the body can also damage the brain. 

Proposed VT Legislation on Concussion Prevention

Senators Sears, Ashe and Campbell (he represents Windsor County) have introduced a bill in the VT legislature that would require school athletic coaches and referees to receive training on how to prevent concussions from occurring during athletic activities; 2) prohibit a coach or an athletic trainer from allowing an athlete to continue participating in a school athletic event if the trainers knows or should know that the athlete has sustained a concussion or other head injury; 3) require that a health care provider be consulted if a coach and an athletic trainer do not agree as to whether an athlete has sustained a concussion or other head injury; and 4) require the home team to ensure that a licensed athletic trainer or a health care provider is present at any athletic event involving a contact sport, and to notify the visiting team’s athletic director if an athlete on the visiting team suffers a serious injury. For the full bill, go to http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/2014/bills/intro/S-004.pdf

Snowboarding Tops List of Winter-Sports Injuries

But orthopedic surgeon says deadliest activity is 'skitching'

By Alan Mozes

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Related MedlinePlus Page

• Sports Injuries

SUNDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Across much of the United States, the winter months are a fun time filled with falling flakes and holiday cheer. But high season for snow and ice can also entail broken bones.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Daryl O'Connor of Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, Ill., said some of the most celebrated seasonal sports, such as skiing and sledding, give rise to a raft of visits to the emergency room.

Snowboarding, said O'Connor, is Exhibit A for outdoor sport-related injuries, with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics showing that this activity alone accounts for one-quarter of all sports injury-related ER visits during winter. Half of those visits involve broken bones and sprains, often of the wrist and elbow, incurred when snowboarders fall on outstretched hands.

Sledding is another concern, causing more than 700,000 injuries a year, with 30 percent involving head injuries following collisions. Hockey and ice-skating lacerations coupled with neck, shoulder and knee injuries are another problem as players make unfortunate contact with ice, pucks, blades and other players.

And then there's skiing, which can pound and punish the knees.

But O'Connor reserves his biggest beef for an activity you won't find in the Olympics anytime soon: "skitching."

"This is not even a sport," he said in a Loyola University Health System news release, as he describes adrenaline-chasing teens who surreptitiously latch on to the rear bumper of a car so they can be pulled down icy streets on foot, in inner tubes or on sleds.

"It's just being foolish," O'Connor said. "In addition to broken bones, neck and shoulder injuries, young people can suffer fatal head trauma. Please, resist the skitch at all costs."

SOURCE: Loyola University Health System, news release, Jan. 2, 2013

MSF at Ski Swap at Okemo

MSF will be at the upcoming OMS Ski Swap at Okemo Mountain-Nov. 16-18, at the Base Lodge. Once again, Instant Wine Bar Raffle tickets will be on sale. Be sure to check out Vermont Snow Seeds. Everyday is a Snow Day when all you need is a few seeds and water. Makes a great stocking stuffer.

Applications Due for Weekend Athletes

Applications are due by Oct. 31, 2012 for those athletes who plan to attend target terms or weekend programs. Please use the application on the sidebar.

Quilt Raffle to Benefit MSF

Another fabulous Joan Noyes Quilt is up for raffle. Tickets are just $5 or 3 for $10. In the Ludlow area, you can purchase them by contacting Tara Liechensteiger  802-228-7280 or lance@tds.net

The drawing is Nov. 10. 

Take Care of Your Brain-It's the only one you've got

Brain injuries, be they a mild concussion or severe, can cause long term damage to a young athelete. In addition to wearing helmet, it's important to take care of your brain. Learn more about how to do this at http://healingwhole.blogspot.com/2012/06/take-care-of-your-brain.html