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athlete and concussion

Bruins forward scores one for Children’s patients

by Tripp Underwood on January 13, 2012

Bad weather kept Marc Savard from watching last night's game in his donated box, so teammate Brad Marchand came up to hang out with Children's patient Patrick and family.

Snow No! I was super excited to watch TV yesterday so I could check out press coverage of Bruins forward Marc Savard, who was scheduled to publicly announce an AMAZING donation he’s giving to the kids of Children’s Hospital Boston.

Unfortunately winter storms in Toronto grounded his flight to Boston and Savy’s big announcement was postponed. The weather may have stolen some of Savard’s thunder, but it can’t take away the great things he’s doing for kids. Marc recently purchased an entire luxury suite at TD Garden, the home of the Bruins, and is donating it to Children’s patients for every home game of this and next season.

Children’s Child Life Services will be awarding the tickets to various patients throughout the hospital, with a special focus on children suffering from the medical and psychological effects of head trauma. It’s a cause dear to Savard, who has had to temporarily stop playing with the Bruins after suffering two concussions last season during play.

“Marc Savard understands firsthand the challenges faced by children suffering from the effects of head trauma,” said Beth Donegan Driscoll, director of Child Life Services at Children’s Hospital Boston. “The partnership with him is an exceptional opportunity for Children’s Hospital Boston patients and their families to experience the thrill of a Bruins game at the generosity of this very special man.” Full story »

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Our patients’ stories: Tackling concussion head-on

by Tripp Underwood on September 8, 2011

On September 12, at 6 p.m. Mark Proctor, MD, director of Children’s Brain Injury Center, will lead a dynamic discussion on concussions in pediatric patients during a live, interactive Webcast. A multidisciplinary team from Children’s Hospital Boston departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Neuropsychology, Neuroradiology and Sports Medicine, will join Proctor. Sign up for an email reminder about the webcast and read on to learn more about the patient featured in the presentation.

Even at just 7-years-old, Nicklas Johnson seemed more comfortable on skates than he did walking. A natural born athlete, Nick split his time between the hockey rink, soccer and lacrosse fields, but it was clear that the ice was his true passion. But in 2006 Nick sustained a hockey injury that would force him to reevaluate not only his love for the sport, but his future as well. Full story »

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Concussions hit local head(lines)

by Tripp Underwood on August 24, 2011

Would you let your child ride on an old, dilapidated carnival ride with a busted safety bar? How about buckle them into a second-generation car seat with fraying, nylon straps?

When the examples are this extreme, the answers are obvious. But what about those situations where safety equipment’s reliability is less clear-cut? For instance, did you know that the age of your child’s helmet may drastically effect its ability to protect the wearer?

Addressing these concerns (and others), the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association recently issued new sports safety guidelines for the 2011-2012 season. Noticeable changes include stricter standards regarding the age and safety of players’ helmets, players that suffer a hit to the head will need medical clearance before returning to play and improved training for coaches, trainers and other adults involved in youth athletics.

William Meehan, MD, director of Children’s Hospital Boston’s Sports Concussion Clinic says the guidelines represent an increased public awareness about the dangers of concussions and will hopefully go a long way in making local youth sports safer for everyone involved. “The new guidelines are definitely a step in the right direction,” he says. “It’s a huge development for the state of Massachusetts.”

To discuss these changes Meehan was recently interviewed for Fox News.

Preventing concussions in High School sports: MyFoxBOSTON.com

Meehan says helmets, like any other piece of equipment, suffer wear and tear over time, which eventually affects performance. “The inside layer of foam in many of these helmets compresses with every impact,” he says. “Over time the springiness and density of that foam changes. It’s get worn down and eventually doesn’t diminish the force of the hit like a newer helmet would.”

For more information on the subject, please join Dr. Meehan, Marc R. Proctor, MD, director of our Brain Injury Center, and a multidisciplinary team from Children’s, as they discuss concussions in pediatric patients during a live, interactive Webcast. Catch “Tackling Concussions Head On” September 12th at 6 PM ET. To sign-up for the presentation and receive a reminder email, please click here.

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Heading towards safer sports

by Lois Lee, MD, MPH on October 28, 2010

Having grown up in the Deep South –Tallahassee, Florida to be exact–I spent many weekends watching college football (Go ‘Noles!!). At the time it seemed everyone was enthralled with the action on the field, but few seemed overly concerned about the future health of the players. Many people cheered for yard gains and devastating blocks, but few seemed to think about the long-term effects those hits could have for the boys on the gridiron. Fortunately things are changing.

There is now growing awareness of the effects of repeated head trauma and concussions based on the experiences of professional football players and other athletes like Mohammed Ali. In response the NFL just passed new rules governing hits in the league, hoping to reduce the amount of head injuries sustained by its players. A good move for protecting the long term health of the athletes, and one that’s likely to be replicated by college and high school sports programs as well. It’s a step in the right direction, but based on my experiences there’s still a great deal of information that patients, parents and coaches still need to learn about concussions. Full story »

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Concussions: heads, you lose

by Nitya Rao on November 2, 2009

sports_concussion Many athletes think they’ll never make it to the big league unless they’re willing to play hard and take a few knocks on the field. But does playing hard mean that they should play hurt—especially if they’ve had a blow to the head?

At every level of competitive sports, coaches, athletes and parents are rethinking when it’s appropriate for athletes return to the game. As Children’s Hospital Boston’s William Meehan, MD, director of the Sports Concussion Clinic in the Division of Sports Medicine, writes in an article for The MetroWest Daily News, the days of an athlete having his bell rung and then jumping back int to the game are gone. Read his story here and tell us what you think.

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Concussion injuries in youth athletes

by Erin Graham on September 23, 2009

hitinhead Last week, Massachusetts lawmakers proposed a new state bill aimed at minimizing concussion injuries in youth athletes that would force coaches, trainers, parent volunteers and others affiliated with school athletic programs to be trained in recognizing potentially concussed athletes. The bill would also require physician authorization in order for an athlete to return to competition post-concussion.

Here, we ask Bill Meehan, MD, of the Concussion Clinic in Children’s Division of Sports Medicine about concussions and how the legislation can help student athletes. Full story »

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