HEAD INJURIES : one stop shopping

I have made comments on head injuries in sports in previous blogposts here and here.  I heard recently on the news how even a series of minor head injuries can cause early dementia to those in their 20's.

There is a mishmash of data on the web already, but there was never one place to go for all the information.

Now, a Canadian Sports Medicine doc, Paul Echlin,  has created a website - The Sport Concussion Library - that pulls together all the information into a one-stop shopping place for Researchers, MDs, First Responders, Parents, Coaches, Schools and Athletes, where one can get information about sport induced concussions.

Chart obtained from this website: Science 2.0
Notice that it does not include Ice Hockey!

It is aimed at educating the public.....but also professionals.  He was tired of seeing so many young persons come into his office - poorly diagnosed and treated and with little understanding of the seriousness and the effect it has on the youth's future.

It is a non-profit, no fee resource.  It has all the up-to-date research that has been done on concussions.

The site gives access to 1500 studies and articles published in Medical Journals and 60 thesis' and book chapters dealing with concussion.  It is linked to many prominent reliable Medical websites.

There are interactive teaching modules. 

There is a SCAT2  test - a concussion assessment tool - that can be given by therapists and MDs and PARENTS to screen an athlete for concussion post injuries.   Use via the MD's website is FREE OF CHARGE.

As Dr. Echlin states: (as reported on Global News)

"This is a public service ... It's not about commercialized sport. It's about the public health of our children.

"Parents are key to this. They can be proactive and empowered. Because I think in the past the parents haven't been empowered and they felt at the mercy of sports people, and not even physicians.

"So it's about them determining what's best for their children."

 

Hopefully, there are people out there who read this, and can use it to further educate themselves and prevent further brain injury and protect our younger generation who have others making decisions for them based on the attitude of "buck up and get back out there on the ice".