Update: Dungey's injury is not career-ending

[cuse309]

Here is a stupid question. We all see players wearing padded "practice shells" on their helmets like these :Guardian | Reducing Impact. One Hit At A Time.

If they reduce concussions, even by a small amount, why are they not being worn in games? Other than the fact that they don't look cool, what would be the reason for not using them at all times? I fear that without addressing the concussion issue, that is becoming more common, (bigger stronger faster='s more force='s more concussions), that the sport, as we all know and love it, will be unrecognizable, and on life support in 20-30 years.

 

[blizz]

Dr. Mark Gordon has had a lot of success in treating TBI patients with hormonal therapy and nutritional supplements. He believes that in many cases, he can eliminate the repetitive nature of concussions through his protocols. I won't get too deep into the physiology of the topic, but his basic premise is that with every knock on the head, the hormone production gets a little out of whack and often stays that way unless it is brought back in line. He has had a lot of success treating veterans who had previously been given no hope of a meaningful recovery.

As you might imagine, he is having difficulty obtaining sufficient funding for widespread studies because his therapy is relatively cheap and short-term whereas the currently accepted treatments involve a lot of money from lifetime prescriptions to "manage" the symptoms rather than eliminate them. I will stop now before this gets too much into the "Political Forum" area.

Dude dropped a Mark Gordon reference. Dollar, I know I've gotten into it with you in the past, but you're alright dude.

 

[Millhouse]

I don't care how many times so called experts call this a concussion. He has missed too many games from too many hits around the head. I don't want to see him play anymore. I am still sick about Shamarko Thomas playing after a clear concussion. This sport is barbaric, if i weren't addicted, i'd give it up. If you were able to clone me long after I'm dead and gone, that horrible terrible clone would call us savages for liking this sport and he'd be right.

If we're going to continue to have this sports, we have to be cruel and heartless to people who want to keep playing it

The guilt of liking this sport is really starting to get to me.

 

[donniesyracuse]

Here is a stupid question. We all see players wearing padded "practice shells" on their helmets like these :Guardian | Reducing Impact. One Hit At A Time.

If they reduce concussions, even by a small amount, why are they not being worn in games? Other than the fact that they don't look cool, what would be the reason for not using them at all times? I fear that without addressing the concussion issue, that is becoming more common, (bigger stronger faster='s more force='s more concussions), that the sport, as we all know and love it, will be unrecognizable, and on life support in 20-30 years.

I don't believe there is real evidence to support the idea that they reduce the threat of concussion. The site to which you linked even has the disclaimer at the top:

"No helmet, practice apparatus, or helmet pad can prevent or eliminate the risk of concussions or other serious head injuries while playing sports. Researchers have not reached an agreement on how the results of impact absorption tests relate to concussions. No conclusions about a reduction of risk or severity of concussive injury should be drawn from impact absorption tests."

 

[Millhouse]

I don't believe there is real evidence to support the idea that they reduce the threat of concussion. The site to which you linked even has the disclaimer at the top:

"No helmet, practice apparatus, or helmet pad can prevent or eliminate the risk of concussions or other serious head injuries while playing sports. Researchers have not reached an agreement on how the results of impact absorption tests relate to concussions. No conclusions about a reduction of risk or severity of concussive injury should be drawn from impact absorption tests."

since the damage is done from the inside out (brain hitting the skull), i doubt the padding is enough to slow that down. and if there's more friction, it could cause more neck injuries. probably some tradeoff there.

 

[cuse309]

I don't believe there is real evidence to support the idea that they reduce the threat of concussion. The site to which you linked even has the disclaimer at the top:

"No helmet, practice apparatus, or helmet pad can prevent or eliminate the risk of concussions or other serious head injuries while playing sports. Researchers have not reached an agreement on how the results of impact absorption tests relate to concussions. No conclusions about a reduction of risk or severity of concussive injury should be drawn from impact absorption tests."

since the damage is done from the inside out (brain hitting the skull), i doubt the padding is enough to slow that down. and if there's more friction, it could cause more neck injuries. probably some tradeoff there.

So why do pretty much all colleges use them?

 

[Millhouse]

So why do pretty much all colleges use them?

because it makes them look like they care and are doing something and they might believe it helps - i'm not saying it's obviously a bad or good idea, i don't think it makes much difference

 

[cuse309]

because it makes them look like they care and are doing something and they might believe it helps - i'm not saying it's obviously a bad or good idea, i don't think it makes much difference

I'm going on shark tank and pitching an idea that just came to me. Air bags in helmets. Imagine how cool it would look. Every time a player takes a huuuge hit to the dome, an airbag rapidly inflates, and pops the helmet completely off their head, leaving the player with what appears to be a big balloon wrapped around their head.

 

[#FRANchise]

So why do pretty much all colleges use them?

All colleges don't use them.. We haven't used them this year.

 

[pacusewife]

I'm going on shark tank and pitching an idea that just came to me. Air bags in helmets. Imagine how cool it would look. Every time a player takes a huuuge hit to the dome, an airbag rapidly inflates, and pops the helmet completely off their head, leaving the player with what appears to be a big balloon wrapped around their head.

Please ensure they are color coordinated with the team and when they engage they should have a colored puff of dust/"smoke". If Mark gives you any lip, be sure to forcibly remind him that this isn't basketball and roll your eyes dramatically.

 

[donniesyracuse]

So why do pretty much all colleges use them?

My guess is they bought the manufacturer's sales pitch without doing any independent research.

 

[dollarbill44]

Dude dropped a Mark Gordon reference. Dollar, I know I've gotten into it with you in the past, but you're alright dude.

I try. Have we gotten into it before? I honestly don't remember. You must have had a faulty idea.

I've heard Mark Gordon on a few different podcasts and his philosophy about treating brain trauma really resonated with me. Then again, I tend to disagree with a lot of the "conventional wisdom" of modern surgical/pharmacological focused medicine that tends to try to stifle practitioners like Dr. Gordon, Dr. Joseph Jemsek and Dr. John Sarno, etc whose success at treating root causes (as opposed to merely the symptoms) with mostly inexpensive treatments are not beneficial for the profitability of the healthcare industry. But now I'm walking the political forum line again, so I will stop here.