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Post by Caz on Mar 14, 2014 9:13:03 GMT 8
In my line of work, I'd encounter a lot of health-related questions. Recently I had a soccer-related one and I expect a lot of them in the near future due to the following article. www.nytimes.com/2014/02/27/sports/soccer/researchers-find-brain-trauma-disease-in-a-soccer-player.htmlThe timing of the article is unfortunate and I'm afraid that anxious parents may pull their kids out of the sport due to fears of long-term injury. Anyways, there's no official stand from the medical community just yet on what age kids should start heading the ball. But check the article out just so everyone's aware. On that note, although there are sports with known associations to the disease such as Boxing and American Football, they still thrive.
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Post by cjeagle on Mar 14, 2014 12:31:59 GMT 8
Those reports are not new Caz. Unfortunately most kid's bodies are sometimes not developed enough to handle the impact. Perhaps it would better for the very young to start with a smaller, less heavier ball or object(such a rolled sock) when practicing their heading skills. Once they develop stronger neck muscles as they get older, that could minimize the impact of such activities they then should be allowed more conventional soccer balls.
Some companies have started building headgear to help mitigate the impact, but it is still uncertain how helpful this new devices can be, especially when there is a certain social stigma attached to it when boys are concerned.
Unfortunately you can not prevent kids from enjoying even ordinary activities that can be potentially harmful, like skateboarding, swimming or bicycling, so to deny them the pleasure of playing soccer I think would be just as detrimental to their social and physical wellbeing. The alternative if the parents become overprotective is to accustom the child to a sedentary lifestyle that is usually carried on throughout his or her lifetime, that pose as much or more danger to his or her health in the long run.
All you can do as a physician is to tell their parent's the warning signs of a concussion so that their parents as well as the athletes themselves, know when to temporarily stop such activities and seek medical attention before continuing.
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Post by Caz on Mar 14, 2014 13:24:39 GMT 8
Those reports are not new Caz. Unfortunately most kid's bodies are sometimes not developed enough to handle the impact. Perhaps it would better for the very young to start with a smaller, less heavier ball or object(such a rolled sock) when practicing their heading skills. Once they develop stronger neck muscles as they get older, that could mitigate the impact of such activities they then should be allowed more conventional soccer balls. Some companies have started building headgear to help mitigate the impact, but it is still uncertain how helpful this new devices can be, especially when there is a certain social stigma attached to it when boys are concerned. Unfortunately you can not prevent kids from enjoying even ordinary activities that can be potentially harmful, like skateboarding, swimming or bicycling, so to deny them the pleasure of playing soccer I think would be just as detrimental to their social and physical wellbeing. The alternative if the parents become overprotective is to accustom the child to a sedentary lifestyle that is usually carried on throughout his or her lifetime, that pose as much or more danger to his or her health in the long run. All you can do as a physician is to tell their parent's the warning signs of a concussion so that their parents as well as the athletes themselves, know when to temporarily stop such activities and seek medical attention before continuing. I'm aware of the concerns abroad but indeed it was my first time to encounter such fears from parents here. But I suppose it is inevitable considering the growing popularity of the sport. If this fear gains ground the media will probably eat it up and spread it fast. So it's up to all of us (not just doctors) to be aware of this concern and advise our peers appropriately if necessary.
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Post by cjeagle on Mar 23, 2014 15:39:29 GMT 8
Those reports are not new Caz. Unfortunately most kid's bodies are sometimes not developed enough to handle the impact. Perhaps it would better for the very young to start with a smaller, less heavier ball or object(such a rolled sock) when practicing their heading skills. Once they develop stronger neck muscles as they get older, that could mitigate the impact of such activities they then should be allowed more conventional soccer balls. Some companies have started building headgear to help mitigate the impact, but it is still uncertain how helpful this new devices can be, especially when there is a certain social stigma attached to it when boys are concerned. Unfortunately you can not prevent kids from enjoying even ordinary activities that can be potentially harmful, like skateboarding, swimming or bicycling, so to deny them the pleasure of playing soccer I think would be just as detrimental to their social and physical wellbeing. The alternative if the parents become overprotective is to accustom the child to a sedentary lifestyle that is usually carried on throughout his or her lifetime, that pose as much or more danger to his or her health in the long run. All you can do as a physician is to tell their parent's the warning signs of a concussion so that their parents as well as the athletes themselves, know when to temporarily stop such activities and seek medical attention before continuing. I'm aware of the concerns abroad but indeed it was my first time to encounter such fears from parents here. But I suppose it is inevitable considering the growing popularity of the sport. If this fear gains ground the media will probably eat it up and spread it fast. So it's up to all of us (not just doctors) to be aware of this concern and advise our peers appropriately if necessary. Here is a website dealing with the subject Caz: www.soccerconcussion.com/category/articles/with relevant topics: www.soccerconcussion.com/8-tips-to-avoid-soccer-injuries/www.soccerconcussion.com/what-is-post-concussion-syndrome/www.soccerconcussion.com/preventing-concussions-in-soccer/www.soccerconcussion.com/soccer-concussion-levels/Most concussions are not due to heading the ball but hitting other people's heads, goal posts, etc.
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 28, 2014 16:43:24 GMT 8
Those reports are not new Caz. Unfortunately most kid's bodies are sometimes not developed enough to handle the impact. Perhaps it would better for the very young to start with a smaller, less heavier ball or object(such a rolled sock) when practicing their heading skills. Once they develop stronger neck muscles as they get older, that could mitigate the impact of such activities they then should be allowed more conventional soccer balls. Some companies have started building headgear to help mitigate the impact, but it is still uncertain how helpful this new devices can be, especially when there is a certain social stigma attached to it when boys are concerned. Unfortunately you can not prevent kids from enjoying even ordinary activities that can be potentially harmful, like skateboarding, swimming or bicycling, so to deny them the pleasure of playing soccer I think would be just as detrimental to their social and physical wellbeing. The alternative if the parents become overprotective is to accustom the child to a sedentary lifestyle that is usually carried on throughout his or her lifetime, that pose as much or more danger to his or her health in the long run. All you can do as a physician is to tell their parent's the warning signs of a concussion so that their parents as well as the athletes themselves, know when to temporarily stop such activities and seek medical attention before continuing. I'm aware of the concerns abroad but indeed it was my first time to encounter such fears from parents here. But I suppose it is inevitable considering the growing popularity of the sport. If this fear gains ground the media will probably eat it up and spread it fast. So it's up to all of us (not just doctors) to be aware of this concern and advise our peers appropriately if necessary. Hi @ Caz. Thought you might be interested in this lawsuit by US soccermom's issued against FIFA, the USSF and local soccer leagues, on the issue of concussions in young players. It looks like they want to limit headers in young children, better monitoring for concussions in leagues and allowing temporary substitutions in professional leagues if a player has sustained a head injury. I would be in favor of a change in rules for substituting a player. In the World Cup, one of the German players returned to the field, after sustaining a head injury(his head made contact with another player's shoulder) and subsequently collapsed a few minutes later. He should have been replaced and evaluated properly(having a neurological exam) and given proper rest before being allowed to play again. www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-28961233
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