Wilfrid Laurier University research team making concussions safer

Head injuries in sports are unavoidable.

That is why a group of researchers at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Kinesiology department are trying to make head injuries safer for athletes.

Leading the research is Prof. Michael Cinelli. He says that a concussion is a very difficult injury to treat, and usually time is the only remedy.

“The symptoms of a concussion may not be apparent right away.” Cinelli added, “During sports adrenaline levels may mask the effects of a concussion for 12 to 24 hours, so concussion should never be taken lightly.”

Cinelli is  developing a series of tests that can better identify when an athlete can return to play. Typically athletes and athletic therapists follow some general guidelines of being “one week symptom free” to return to play.

According to Cinelli, that may not work in all cases. With his research he hopes to be able to determine more accurately if an athlete is safely able to return to play.

While Cinelli and his team continue their research, some of his students have taken a lead in teaching concussion management to local youth sports teams.

The group is called Team Up Against Concussions. They deliver seminars to parents, coaches and athletes about how to properly identify, and treat head injuries.

Laura Fedy is the chapter president of Team Up Laurier, she says people need to know that treating a concussion is different from other injuries.

“People know how to treat a broken arm or a sprained ankle, but they don’t necessarily know how to treat a concussion, and it’s just as important, the brain is such an important part of the body, everyone should know how to treat a concussion.”

If you would like a presentation for your team you can do so by emailing teamuplaurier@gmail.com

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