Q: My son wants to play football in high school next year. How can I make sure the program is doing what it can to protect the players from serious injury and that he stays safe? - Shona V., Seattle
A: It's terrific that all 50 states now have enacted concussion management laws that include concussion education, removal from play if there is a concussion and return-to-play rules. However, across the nation high schools are struggling to keep up with state law requirements. Many athletic trainers have identified problems with adopting the guidelines because of the complexity of medical terms in instruction manuals (what are they talking about anyway?!) and lack of training of the football staff in managing potential concussions.
Make an appointment to talk to the coaches and trainers to learn what they can teach you about the health and safety policies for practices and games. A free "Concussion in Sports" online education course through the National Federation of State High School Associations Learning Center (NFHSLearn.com) was updated last year and has been taken by 4 million people since 2010. You can judge how well your son may be protected by how well the athletic staff can teach you the rules.
Another way to judge the school's program is to look at the quality of their equipment. Headgear should include state-of-the-art foam padding. (Check out Virginia Tech's Varsity Football Helmet Ratings online.) Hand-held, quantitative pupil-monitoring devices also are good to have on hand; they deliver on-the-spot info about possible brain injuries. Elastic micro-lattice pads have been developed by scientists at UC Santa Barbara and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory to make helmets easier to wear and more protective.
While these measures cannot prevent all injuries, they have reduced the perils of the game. Did you know that 35 kids died playing high school football in 1970? That's an all-time high. It's now about two a year. So do some poking around and share your knowledge with the team so your son - and you - can enjoy the game.
Q: My brother was shot in the thigh during a robbery at a local convenience store. He survived, but he's very bitter and he's angry that he still has trouble walking. Is there anything I can do to help him get through this? - Belinda K., Chicago
A: Yes, there is. You can make sure he gets good physical and mental therapy. About half of all gunshot wound survivors (GWS) report long-term negative mental and physical health problems. Unfortunately, such disruptions often lead to unemployment and substance abuse problems. According to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, after a 10-year follow-up, almost 50% of GWS were still dealing with post-traumatic stress disorders.
Gun violence is a wide-reaching public health problem. It doesn't only affect the immediate victims, it wounds families too. The statistics are alarming: Someone in the U.S. experiences a gunshot injury every 4 minutes and 44 seconds. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2017, 39,773 people died from gun injuries. Around 60% of those fatalities were suicides. Annually there are approximately 70,000 folks who survive a gunshot. Recovery - for everyone, and that could even include you, Belinda - is not easy.
Early identification of PTSD is important in the long-term recovery for gunshot victims. So make sure that your brother is in close touch with his primary care provider for management of any lingering physical repercussions and finds out about physical rehab. In Chicago, you have the nation's No. 1 facility, the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab (www.sralab.org). Also make sure he finds group or individual therapy that he likes. PTSD can be overcome, but it takes time and treatment that is targeted to that condition. We suggest he (or you) contact the America Trauma Society. They will put you in touch with the Trauma Survivors Network. Or call 1-800-556-7890 to find a support group in your area.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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