Concussions in the NFL, an its affect on current and retired NFL Players - Research Paper Example

our game as safe as possible, to protect the health and safety of our players, and to set the best possible example for players at all levels and in all sports.” Historically, doctors were limited to post-mortem biopsies, however, thanks to new technologies such as the functional magnetic resonance imaging that allows the doctors and scientists to observe and study a living human brain, researchers are better able to understand the nature of traumatic brain injuries and the deleterious effects of repeated concussions.

To limit the number and severity of future injuries, the dual-prong strategy concentrates on increasing awareness of the dangers of concussions and of their symptoms, and of using advanced medical technology to better diagnose and treat injuries, and to create and evaluate novel treatment options. The new standard states that a player who is concussed should not return to play the same day if he has memory problems, a headache or persistent dizziness. This is a change from the old standard from 2007, wherein a player should not return to play if he had lost consciousness, reflects a growing concern of fans and players on the seriousness of head injuries (Schefter 2009).

Pressure on management to address the issue has meant new regulations, including suspensions and fines up to $75,000 for dangerous hits (Associated Press 2010). How widespread is the problem in the NFL? Currently, there are eleven players league-wide with reported concussions and another eight listed with head injuries (Schefter 2009). There are an average of 1 ½ to 2 concussions per game (Associated Press 2010). While the average concussion is the result of 95 g’s of acceleration to the skull, American football players experience of 103 g’s or more (Malinowski 2010).

According to the Center for Disease Control, amongst the general population traumatic brain injury “is a contributing factor to one third of all injury-related deaths in the United States.” That’s roughly