Let's talk head injuries

[DWx]

By coincidence these two stories popped up on my newsfeed today:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40718990

Brain disease affects 99% of NFL players in study

A study of American football players' brains has found that 99% of professional NFL athletes tested had a disease associated with head injuries.

The neurodegenerative brain disease CTE is typically found in people who have suffered repeated blows to the head, studies have found.

It causes a build-up of so-called tau proteins which can disable neuro-pathways and cause memory loss, impaired judgment, confusion and a variety of other mental health issues.

All 202 players studied - ranging in age from 23 to 89 - were required to have football as their primary exposure to head trauma.

Of the 202 total players, 87% were found to have traces of CTE.

It was also found in 48 of 53 college players and three of the 14 high school players.

Players featured in the study came from every position on the field, and from high school, university, and Canadian leagues, in addition to the NFL.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-40726858

Commonwealth Games silver medallist Stephanie Inglis has ruled out ever returning to her sport of judo competitively

The 28-year-old suffered a brain injury in a motorbike accident in Vietnam more than a year ago.

Inglis, who won her silver medal in 2014, told BBC Radio Scotland's The Kaye Adams Programme the surgeon had warned that if she suffered another head injury it would likely be life-threatening.

She said it would be "just stupid" to put her life at risk by returning to compete in judo, even though it was a sport that she "loved" and been involved in since a young age.

Admittedly the second story is about an injury that occurred outside of the sport but it does link in with the risks we face in martial arts and the precautions we have to take.

Are head injuries a concern for you? Do you alter your training at all to reduce the risk?

Personally I have 2 bad head injuries which stick out for me. One was in 2009 when I took a punch straight between the eyes and went down to the mat. The second one was earlier this year where I took a back kick to the face. Though I wasn't knockout with the second one, that's the one that scared me the most as I felt the after effects for much longer. In that particular incident, it took me a good 30 minutes before I could string a sentence together properly or think straight. A couple of years ago my optician also highlighted that I appear to have some retinal damage in my left eye, most likely from repeat blows to the head on that side (right leg roundhouses!). For me this means I have made a concerted effort to get better at protecting myself whereas before I would just eat a shot because it didn't hurt.

[LLLEARNER]

Head injuries are not a major concern for me.

My brain is already damaged (and will only get worse), but my doctor said no problem to head contact.

I enjoy the combat aspect of the sport.

I can get hit in the head at work.

I do wear head gear while sparring.

So far, I am not allowed head contact (yellow belt here).

I don't actively seek to get hit in the head, but I participate in an activity and job where it can happen.

No, I don't alter my training. But, I do not have a lifetime in the sport as some of you do.

[singularity6]

Yeah, head injuries are scary. We practice on a hard tile floor (a local church rents their gym to us for very little money per year.) While there are mats for training our hapkido and self defense, they're the fold-up kind, and it's easy to find your way off of those. I've hit my head once (lightly) on the tile from a dumb fall, and the thoughts of how bad that COULD be kinda washed over me.

[Nidan Melbourne]

They do concern me, as i know what the potential risks are and what can happen to my brain.

When I am training, that is something I work on is protecting. my face.

[singularity6]

They do concern me, as i know what the potential risks are and what can happen to my brain.

When I am training, that is something I work on is protecting. my face.

Interesting... I have a tendency to block with my face!

[LLLEARNER]

They do concern me, as i know what the potential risks are and what can happen to my brain.

When I am training, that is something I work on is protecting. my face.

Interesting... I have a tendency to block with my face!

I see you studied boxing under Rocky.

[bushido_man96]

There are risks inherent in anything we do. That said, doing nothing is worse.

We don't spar in class to knock each other out, and we try to exercise control to the best of our abilities in class. Fail to do so results in being removed from sparring. That said, we still get tagged from time to time, and its our responsibility to take care of each other, so I always check the welfare of my partner if the need arises.