Head injuries go to House of Commons

"Queen’s Athletic Therapy co-ordinator Vicky Wiltshire said it’s important to promote concussion education. She said the higher number of reported concussions among Queen’s athletes might have to do with an increased awareness about the dangers of head injuries.

“It’s really hard to tell whether there are more concussions happening or we’re just seeing more because we’re better educated,” she said, adding that coaches don’t say “it’s just a bell-ringer” anymore.

“People are at least starting to open their eyes,” she said.

Athletic Therapy follows the Concussion in Sport Group guidelines to evaluate concussed athletes, concluding daily check-ups until symptoms clear up. If symptoms persist, athletes are referred to sports medicine physicians.

Wiltshire said most athletes recover within a week but some have suffered long-term effects.

“We have a very small number of athletes who, weeks later, can’t sit through a lecture without getting a headache,” she said. “It can be scary and really debilitating … sometimes you don’t recover from it.”

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Seafair adopts concussion protocol

"To effectively implement the protocol the association needs to first establish a baseline. It started this process last weekend by joining forcing with Richmond-based Evolution Sport Therapy, whose athletic therapy team tested players from two of Seafair’s Atom Division and Midget rep teams at its clinic. Using the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 2 (SCAT2), which represents a standardized method of evaluating injured athletes aged 10 and over for a concussion, players were put through a series of cognitive and physical evaluations from which a baseline score was established. The score, which varies from player to player, can be a valuable tool if the player suffers a concussion in the future.

The players also participated in functional screening tests, a ranking and grading system that documents movement patterns for each individual that are vital to normal function."

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Keeping their heads up: SAIT participates in U of C concussion research

"Before the start of the season, every SAIT hockey player will have taken a concussion baseline test at the U of C.The testing uses an innovative robotic device to assess athletes for reaction time, divided attention, working memory, visio-spatial planning, and movement co-ordination.

“We’re excited about the integration of robotics as a novel concussion assessment tool,” said Dr. Brian Benson, who conducted the study, in a press release. “Even subtle impairments may increase their risk of repeat or additional injury.”

Kim Sweeney, SAIT’s head athletic therapist, has dealt with student athletes who have experienced concussions for seven years and said the school is going in the right direction.

Every athlete at SAIT who suffers a concussion has to go through Sweeney before being cleared to play. The athlete has to be symptom free for 24 hours, then undergo a series of increased physical activity. If there are any setbacks, it’s back to square one."

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MOHA adopts baseline testing to help prevent concussions

"“The thing that struck me is they said the national women’s team actually had more concussions than the national men’s team,” said MOHA president Mark Bentley. “It just shows you don’t need bodychecking to have concussions.”

The presentation was compelling enough to convince MOHA to adopt the program. So before each of MOHA’s 2,650 players in both rep and house league over the age of 10 stepped on the ice this season, they were required to complete a cognitive baseline test that is also used by the NHL, NFL and CFL.

“We’re proud to be one of the first to get out there and pave the way and make people more aware,” said Russell Gunner, a certified athletic therapist and one of MOHA’s two head trainers.

Minor hockey organizations in Guelph and London are also using the ImPACT baseline testing, but MOHA is the largest minor hockey program to adopt it. The organization is using its reserve fund to cover the $25 fee for administering the test, a total cost of more than $60,000.

“Money well spent,” Bentley said. “We’ve always been proactive. We did security clearances before they were mandated and we did mouth guards before they were required.”

Players can do the test online in about 20-25 minutes. By testing players’ reactions, memory and their ability to process information, the test establishes a baseline for comparison when the player retakes the test following a concussion.

Gunner said concussions can be tricky because even if a player is symptom-free, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are ready to return to action.

“Right now, all we have is ‘How do you feel?’ He may be feeling fine but the brain is still in the process of trying to heal,” he said. “This is a fantastic tool to help determine when a player is ready to return, but it’s just a tool, it’s not the only thing.”"

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