A Look at Concussions Part 2: Education, Awareness Essential to Protect Young Athletes

Mandatory education combined with supplemental instruction is the biggest key to Missouri’s new concussion legislation, said Dr. Mark Halstead.

“The biggest things we can do with concussions are to better recognize the signs and symptoms, and discuss appropriate ways to deal with them after a concussion occurs,” said Halstead, Director of the Sports Concussion Program at Washington University.

“As long as we can continue to educate people at all levels—parents, coaches, athletes, teachers, athletic directors, etc.—we will be able to make a difference.”

Under the new law, education is required for coaches, players and parents. The Missouri State High School Activities Association provides materials for education, but other avenues are available in the St. Louis area.

The St. Louis-based Brain Injury Association of Missouri (BIA-MO), one of the leading organizations on this issue, is passing the  Interscholastic Youth Sports Brain Injury Prevention Act. This offers a sports concussion educational program for parents and athletes and in-service for coaches, school nurses and physical education instructors.

“A lot of the high schools have mandatory parent meetings for different sports seasons,” BIA-MO executive director Maureen Cunningham said. “We have volunteers that will come and do a 15-minute overview on the signs and symptoms of concussions, what to look for, what to do if they suspect their child may have sustained a concussion, and when immediate medical attention is needed.”

BIA-MO is also hosting its 7th annual statewide conference in October. A session about concussions will be available with former Detroit Lions quarterback Eric Hipple and representatives from the Missouri State Neurological Association speaking.

Other organizations provide education materials online too.

The Center for Disease Control has created a poster for both NFL players and high school athletes. The National Federation of State High School Associations posts its guidelines for concussions as well.

Halstead stressed the seriousness of concussions by noting it’s an injury to the brain.

“A concussion is a brain injury that causes functional problems in the brain,” said Halstead, “meaning the brain is not working appropriately, which is often why many student-athletes can have a lot of difficulty in school following a concussion.”

Because their brains are still developing, young athletes are more vulnerable to injury.

While an individual is more susceptible to concussions after already having at least one, the long-term effects of concussions are still relatively unknown despite the well-publicized effects shown by NFL players.

“We still don't have all the answers, partly because athletes haven't been followed over time to see how they do compared to those that didn't have concussions,” said Halstead, who is the team physician for the St. Louis Rams and the concussion consultant for the St. Louis Blues.

“The retired NFL player issues are concerning, but more research needs to be conducted to help identify athletes that may be at risk for long-term issues, or if risk factors are even any higher than for those that did not suffer concussions.”

Halstead said it will take time to conduct the research, but he expects to have those results in the future.

The BIA-MO says the effects of a traumatic brain injury can include the inability to return to work, prolonged anxiety and depression, and a high risk for loss of friendship and social support.

(Read Part 1 of this series: )