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The Increased Need For Concussion Treatment In Toronto

By Jana Serrano


Reports are coming out of the Canadian province of Ontario indicating that the incidence of head injuries has gone up. Between the years 2003 and 2010, numbers of young people turning up in hospitals for concussion treatment in Toronto went up 50 percent. While this may be an indication that parents are becoming better informed about the risk of head injury, the increase is still cause for concern.

The Mayo Clinic defines concussion as a traumatic brain injury that alters the way the brain operates. Such alteration may be temporary or permanent and varies in severity. The symptoms include problems with balance, coordination and concentration or loss of memory. The seriousness of the injury does not always correlate with the level of symptoms. Even a slight blow to the head can cause serious or permanent damage.

The symptoms may not express themselves for several days, weeks or longer after the original blow. These include headache, confusion and memory loss. Additionally, there may be nausea and vomiting, ringing sounds in the ears, a feeling of pressure within the head, seeing stars or slurred speech. Children and toddlers may lose interest in their favorite toys, appear cranky or irritable, cry more than normal or change their sleeping and eating habits.

An adrenalin-fueled sports player is likely to insist on getting back in the game after suffering a blow to the head, especially if they do not perceive the knock as serious. This can be a big mistake, as players can become severely disabled or even die if they do not receive treatment.

Concussions are particularly common in people who participate in contact sports. Hockey players are in a particularly high-risk group. Bodychecking is a defensive maneuver in which the player forcibly drives his shoulder, hip, elbow and upper arm into an opponent. According to the rules, this move is only legal when carried out against the player who has control of the puck.

Bodychecking was outlawed in 2010 in order to protect younger players from suffering concussions from a body check to the head. However, this strategy does not appear to be working. Not only are the overall numbers of concussions on the increase, but women are receiving more head injuries than the guys.

It turns out it is not just female hockey players who are getting more brain injuries, it is women in all sports and at all ages, from pro to college and even down to girls of nine or ten years old. Pee wee coaches are reporting more concussions among their players. In spite of the fact that women's hockey does not permit bodychecking, the incidence of concussions among these players is on the rise.

The chief of neurosurgery at a large Massachusetts hospital seems to believe that women may just be more vulnerable to concussion than men, and that there should be more research into this. Another possibility is that women do not work as hard to train their neck muscles as men do. This is most likely for cosmetic reasons. Women may also be more forthcoming about reporting head injuries.




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