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Outlines For Players Steps Taken To Address Concussions
08/14/2007
NFL OUTLINES FOR PLAYERS STEPS TAKEN

TO ADDRESS CONCUSSIONS



The National Football League has outlined for NFL players, coaches, and staff members the recent steps that have been taken to address the management of concussions in the NFL.



“We want to make sure all NFL players, coaches and staff members are fully informed and take advantage of the most up-to-date information and resources as we continue to study the long-term impact of concussions,” Commissioner ROGER GOODELL said. “Because of the unique and complex nature of the brain, our goal is to continue to have concussions managed conservatively by outstanding medical personnel in a way that clearly emphasizes player safety over competitive concerns.”



The recent steps were outlined in a memo that will be sent to all NFL players and team personnel with other information. They include the following:



· The NFL held a medical conference in June on the subject of concussions. It was attended by team physicians and athletic trainers from every NFL team and by active players and medical representatives of the NFL Players Association. The conference reviewed the current medical and scientific research and included presentations by doctors and scientists from within and outside the NFL.



· An informational pamphlet on concussions for NFL players and their families has been prepared (below). It describes the symptoms of concussions, what NFL players should look for in themselves or a teammate if they suspect a possible concussion, and what NFL families should know about concussions.



The establishment of a hotline to report information on a confidential basis about an NFL player being forced to practice or play against medical advice. The hotline underscores the league’s priority on player safety over competitive concerns.

· The NFL and NFLPA medical advisors prepared a summary of key factors in deciding when NFL players can safely return to the same game or practice. These factors have been identified in medical studies and are used by NFL team medical staffs. They emphasize that concussions in the NFL should continue to be managed conservatively and include the following specific points:



1. The player should be completely asymptomatic and have normal neurological test results, including mental status testing at rest and after physical exertion, before returning to play.



2. Symptoms to be taken into account include confusion, problems with immediate recall, disorientation to time, place and person, anterograde and retrograde amnesia, fatigue, and blurred vision.



3. If an NFL player sustains a loss of consciousness, as determined by the team medical staff, he should not return to the same game or practice.



4. NFL team physicians and athletic trainers will continue to exercise their medical judgment and expertise in treating concussions, including considering any history of concussions in a player.



· Neuropsychological testing has been expanded for all NFL players. NFL players who have been removed from a game due to a concussion will be re-tested during the season as part of the medical staff’s treatment of the player and to assist in determining when players can return to practice and play. Each club will select the neuropsychological testing provider of its choice.



Player safety rules relating to the use of the helmet will continue to be closely enforced. This will include strict enforcement of the requirement that chin straps on helmets be completely and properly buckled so that the helmet provides the maximum protection.


The NFL will continue to research and study all elements of concussions with a particular focus on long-term effects.

I think we are just beginning to see the NFL take this subject seriously. Hopefully all will and the hotline will be the start of a better effort to monitor the situation. If the medical profession gets involved to the degree they should, I think you will see improvements everywhere,from the helmets worn to when a player can return to a game or practice, or play at all.