Although my academic interest in sports injuries goes back a long way I only really started thinking about return-to-play (RTP) practices after attending my club’s 125th anniversary. There I trailed one of my old teammates into a function; he was only a couple of years older than me but much bigger and stronger, and way more …
I’ve recently been involved with some research work around concussion in rugby union and the ‘Ryan Crotty’ story has kept surfacing during discussions, with different views coming from different groups of people. For international readers, or those not enamoured of rugby, Ryan Crotty is a 29-year-old veteran player for the All Blacks, the NZ national …
The risks associated with concussion I’m not planning to tackle any possible links between head knocks and degenerative neurological conditions here (maybe a future blog!); instead, I’d prefer to focus on dealing with the recognition and management of concussion. Getting an accurate handle on the incidence of concussion is challenging. Concussions can result from any …
Concussion has been thrust squarely into the public spotlight due to the media’s obsession with a suggested link between concussion and premature neurodegenerative conditions and a compromised quality of life. These days, sports concussions and head injuries in sport are closely scrutinised and monitored, with concussion now a high profile public health concern. Awareness is …
The magic sponge Some of you (actually probably very few now that I think about it) may remember when on-field injury treatment was a bucket of water and a sponge. It was a bit of a standing joke in sport, probably because it appeared to miraculously work 99% of the time – hence the term …