Concussion and brain trauma are emotive subjects in sport. As research continues to uncover the impact that traumatic head injuries have, discussions about safety and the long term health of players will only get louder. In the USA, as early as 1906 doctors were publishing papers highlighting the dangers of concussion linked to playing American Football. In the UK, ongoing research that identifies a link between heading and dementia in football has drawn major attention. Well publicised legal action taken by former rugby union players against their governing bodies has recently been followed by their footballing compatriots. The group, which includes the family of World Cup winner Nobby Stiles, claims football authorities failed to protect players from excessive blows to the head which contributed to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia.
England’s Harry Maguire was substituted with concussion like symptoms. Without a objective diagnostic test knowing if this was caused by an impact or illness is difficult.
Football has started to take the issue of concussion and traumatic brain injuries seriously. National and international governing bodies as well as players' unions are funding research in order to progress understanding to try and tackle the problem. Recent research from the University of Birmingham has been released that demonstrates how saliva testing can be used to help diagnose concussion. The use of saliva testing isn't new in sport, back in 2016, SSA blogged about the increased risk of illness associated with football’s congested Christmas period linked to biomarkers found in the saliva of players.
The identification of biomarkers linked to concussion is particularly important in sport. It allows for an objective test rather than current protocols, which require players to be honest about symptoms even if they know that will result in being taken out of a game and possibly sidelined for up to ten days. The future of these developments should mean that using a rapid saliva test will give medical teams independent verifiable data to help make even more accurate decisions about the safety of players in-game or during training situations.
England’s opening game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup versus Iran very clearly demonstrated the need for a fast and effective concussion diagnostic test. Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand was down for an extended period receiving treatment following a collision with his teammate. He attempted to continue before finally being replaced. England central defender Harry Maguire was also removed following a knock and displaying concussive symptoms.
The current subjective nature of concussion diagnosis leaves the door open for players and management teams to circumvent return to play protocols. A biomarker test would remove the subjectivity and ensure that players automatically begin the graded recovery procedure. This would reduce the risk of players being tempted to return too soon, a particular temptation during tournaments where games come in rapid succession.
Sports marketing has traditionally stayed away from the concussion conversation. Leaving player welfare and safety to the experts is always a wise decision. However, as the drive for more insight and data comes from players, fans and performance teams, the industry could find itself central to conversations in terms of technological innovations and research funding that pave the way for greater player care.
The obvious partners come from the healthcare sector. Amongst major sponsors within football, Nuffield Health partner The FA, Sanitas have long been associated with Spanish football and Manchester United retain Canon Medical as their official medical systems partner. Vitality branding has also adorned on pitch medical team kit across a host of Premier League and Championship sides for a number of years now.
Despite a strong showing from the sector in terms of sponsorship, comprehensive player welfare systems are still in their relative infancy. The developments in wearable technology as well as enhanced collection and aggregation of data should allow for greater effectiveness of these systems. While these systems should be used to support players across all major health issues, a focus on the prevention and treatment of concussion should become a priority.
Healthcare partners and other technology providers can therefore play a vital role in developing systems that can underpin concussion management at an elite level. The learnings from within the elite game can then be carried by partner's marketing campaigns to inform millions of the seriousness and appropriate actions to reduce the risks of concussion lower down the performance pyramid.
Concussion and head injury in sport will continue to be difficult subjects. Authorities must first try to prevent concussive events in sport and balance player welfare with the physicality, tradition, health benefits and entertainment of playing sports that millions love. As we have seen in the early stages of the FIFA 2022 World Cup, safety considerations have to be taken out of players' and coaches hands and placed in the hands of independent medical teams to make essential calls. Partners can help drive new research and new technologies to help medics make rapid decisions for the benefit of players. Then using their marketing platforms, they can help accelerate the adoption of these technologies and practices throughout the playing levels to make sport safer for all…
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