Dr. Glen Bergeron, Associate Dean, Faculty of Kinesiology is with UWinnipeg’s new Heads Up Concussion Institute
Dr. Glen Bergeron, Associate Dean, Faculty of Kinesiology is with UWinnipeg’s new Heads Up Concussion Institute
After a concussion, people need to know what to do immediately, but they also need to know where they can go for help in the days and weeks that follow. So a group of physicians, athletic therapists, athletes, former athletes and family members gathered today at the Duckworth Centre in The University of Winnipeg to share this information and more with the public.
“Today kids play several sports that overlap seasons so it is so important we have a plan for dealing with concussions,” says Kerry Goulet, co-author, “CONCUSSED!” the first Canadian book on the subject. “Parents need support from all sport organizations to deal with concussions. With the heightened awareness, we need coaches, trainers and family doctors working together to help them ensure all aspects from detection, diagnosis to management of this invisible injury are in place. Baseline testing and tools in the toolbox are needed to make sure we do all we can to reduce the incidences of concussions.”
“I sustained two concussions in my hockey career,” says Desirae Scott. “The first one occurred on November 18th, 2007 and my symptoms lasted until December 12th. I got another concussion January 8th, 2008 and those symptoms lasted until November 20th, 2009. This was the most challenging time of my life.”
It’s stories like Desirae’s that are featured in “CONCUSSED!” co-authored by Goulet and Keith Primeau, formerly of the Philadelphia Flyers and Kerry Goulet, a retired professional hockey player in Europe (Winnipeg born and raised). It offers a look at the world of concussions through the eyes of players, parents and children. It outlines the cause, effects and consequences of the injury. CONCUSSED! was created to help people fully understand their role when dealing with their concussion or that of a loved one.
The book contains stories from leading experts in their field including The University of Winnipeg’s Dr. Glen Bergeron, Dr. Andrea Lazosky-Chisholm, Dr. Salvatore Trazzera, Dr. Bob Stern and Dr. Kailin Walter along with professional athletes such as Keith Primeau, Wayne Primeau, Chris Nowinski, Tim Fleiszer, Kyle Quincey and many more.
“The most important preventive strategy when dealing with concussion is education, education, education,” said Dr. Bergeron, Associate Dean of UWinnipeg’s new Faculty of Kinesiology. “Athletes, coaches, and parents need to be aware of the potentially tragic consequences of unsportsmanlike conduct.It all comes down to respect for each other and the game itself.”
There are five primary organizations in Winnipeg for support and information:
The University of Winnipeg;s new Heads Up Concussion Institute
- People who have had a concussion receive monitoring and medical counselling to ensure appropriate treatment, complete recovery and safe return to participation.
- Athletes and teams can use base line computerized testing to establish normal (non-concussed measures) that are very helpful in determining recovery targets.
- The institute collaborates with top notch researchers seeking to answer the many outstanding questions regarding concussions including, cause, treatment and prevention.
- Details at: uwinnipeg.ca/index/heads-up-institute
Legacy Sports Medicine
offers computerized ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) through the Legacy Sport Concussion Centre. ImPACT is the most commonly used and most scientifically validated computerized concussion evaluation system, and is used by many professional and collegiate teams including NFL, NHL and NCAA. They use ImPACT to help better determine recovery from concussive injury and assist in establishing when an athlete can safely return back to play. Baseline testing is available for both individuals and teams and can be performed without physician evaluation. Physician evaluation is required for post-injury concussion. Details at: legacysportsmedicine.com
Sport Medicine and Science Council of Manitoba
Resources include laminated reference cards on the signs, symptoms, testing and return to play guidelines related to concussion. The Council is a cooperative forum of medical, paramedical and sport science provider groups organized to meet the needs of Manitoba’s sport, recreation and fitness communities.
Details at: sport.med@sportmanitoba.ca
Pan Am Clinic
The Minor injury clinic at the Pan Am Clinic provides medical consultations for athletes who have sustained a concussion. For more information go to the website at: http://www.panamclinic.org/index.asp .The Pam Clinic Foundation is conducting research to determine the knowledge, attitudes and opinions of players, coaches, and parents. To take part in the study, or if you have any questions, contact Dr. Jeff Leiter at 204.927.2665 or jleiter@panamclinic.com
The Sport Medicine Centre at the Sport for Life Centre
Dr. Maureen Kennedy provides medical consultations to athletes who have sustained a concussion. She can be reached at the The Sport Medicine Centre at the Sport for Life Centre by calling 204.925.5944 or their website at: http://www.sportmedicinecentre.ca/
The group also highlighted “Head Games” a full length documentary on the inside story about concussions from acclaimed director Steve James (Academy Award-nominated Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters). HEAD GAMES is inspired by events from the book Head Games written by former Ivy League football star and WWE wrestler Christopher Nowinski, and featuring interviews with Nowinski, Bob Costas (NBC Sports), Keith Primeau (NHL All-Star), Cindy Parlow Cone (Olympic Gold Medalist, Women’s Soccer), and many more. HEAD GAMES exposes viewers to one of the leading public health issues of our time, raising the question: “How much of you are you willing to lose for a game?” It opens of Friday in Winnipeg at the Globe Cinema.
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sheldon Appelle, Sport Information Coordinator
University of Winnipeg
204.786.9823
