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Sports Accidents Can Lead to Traumatic Brain Injury: Part 2 of 2, by Dr. Arthur Day

Sports Accidents Can Lead to Traumatic Brain Injury: Part 1

Dr. Arthur Day teaches neurosurgery to a new generation of doctors. Here he continues his discussion of the connection between sports and brain injuries.

Football historically contributes more to the incidence of head injuries than any other team sport. The rules of football, as well as ever-increasing competition for scholarships, lead players to undertake incredibly risky moves, leading to around 47,000 head injuries a year. Moreover, the sheer force of a hit in football jolts the head with incredible intensity. Repeated blows not only increase the possibility that a player will experience a traumatic neurological injury, but also make it more likely that he might suffer problems related to second impact syndrome.

About 300,000 football players receive medical treatment each year for concussions. However, experts believe that many more concussion incidents go unreported. Professional football players often experience tackles with more than 1600 pounds of force. In most cases, traumatic neurological injuries resulting in incomplete recovery occur at the high school level. Sports regulatory organizations such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association update rules regarding safety on a regular basis, but officials do not always hands down penalties for such conduct as head-down and helmet-to-helmet contact. In addition, the nature of football means that players are required to block, tackle, and hit members of the opposing team.

Today, players who have experienced significant head injuries are excluded from play. While this helps keep players with documented prior brain damage from undergoing second impact syndrome, it could also mean that incidences of head injury go unreported by coaches, parents, and players because of competition for opportunities to be seen by college or professional scouts.

Although cheerleading has traditionally been considered an extracurricular activity with a minor chance of severe injury, the evolution of this sport requires participants to perform extremely difficult gymnastic and acrobatic stunts. Human error, prior injury, and other factors lead more often to traumatic neurological injuries than in the past.

About Dr. Day: A Professor of Neurosurgery and the Vice Chair and Director of Clinical Education in Neurosurgery at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Dr. Day performs brain and spine surgery and trains young surgeons in practice. A highly acclaimed expert in the field of neurosurgery, Dr. Day lectures and writes articles on the subject.

Dr. Arthur Day and Town & Country Magazine

Dr. Arthur Day has gained a well-deserved reputation as a highly skilled neurosurgeon, and he has served at some of the leading hospitals in the nation. He has been featured in many publications and won many awards. In 1987, Town & Country Magazine first named him one of the top doctors in the United States.

Founded in 1846 and called the Home Journal and The National Press, the publication today goes by the moniker of Town & Country Magazine, and serves as a lifestyle publication that promotes upscale living for affluent individuals. The magazine features articles on fashion, design, beauty, travel, health, and the arts, presented in a beautiful package that features fine writing and high-quality photography. As America’s oldest general-interest magazine, the publication has essentially covered American history for the last 160 years and has become a bastion of our country. It has been called one of the hottest magazines of the year by Adweek and has been nominated for national magazine awards.

In September 2003, a quarterly spin-off entitled Town & Country Travel, appeared. In 2007, the magazine launched townandcountrytravelmag.com, which serves as a website dedicated to travel and blogs about vacationing. Town & Country Weddings, which is published twice a year, also launched in 2003.

In addition to the magazines, Town & Country publishes numerous books, available for sale on the company website. The editors have published titles including At Home with Town & Country, Town & Country Dogs, The Bridesmaid’s Companion, The Guide to Intelligent Giving, Wedding Speeches & Toasts, and Wedding Vows and Promises. Other titles include books written on practical subjects, such as Town & Country Wine Companion, Town & Country Handbook for Hosts, Modern Manners, and Town & Country’s Social Graces. In addition to these colorful, high-quality books, Town & Country offers its vintage magazine covers, which serve as beautiful pieces of art with a retro feel, for sale on the website.

Dr. Arthur Day and Peter Gammons

[Author: Kevin.Ward]

Dr. Arthur Day has served as a leading neurosurgeon for more than 30 years, and has enjoyed a host of professional accomplishments. In 2009, Peter Gammons, a baseball journalist, enlisted the help of Dr. Arthur Day when he suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm. Under the care of Dr. Arthur Day, Peter Gammons returned to work in an unbelievable two and a half months from a surgery that typically takes a very extended recovery time.

Peter Gammons won the J. G. Taylor Spink Award for his sports writing. He wrote for The Boston Globe and served ESPN for many years as the “face of baseball.” Today he writes for MLB.com and holds an analyst position with New England Sports Network (NESN).

Born in Groton, Massachusetts, Peter Gammons attended the prep school Groton School and went on to graduate from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he wrote for the school paper, The Daily Tar Heel. Shortly after graduation he joined The Boston Globe and focused on Boston Red Sox coverage. He served the Globe from 1969 to 1975, and again from 1978 to 1986; between those periods, he acted as a columnist for Sports Illustrated, where he covered sports such as hockey, baseball, and college basketball. In addition, Gammons has written many books, including Beyond the Sixth Game, The Numbers Game: Baseball’s Lifelong Fascination with Statistics, and Rocket Man: The Roger Clemens Story.

Gammons joined ESPN in 1998 as a studio analyst and enjoyed appearances on Baseball Tonight during baseball season. In 2006 he became a field-level reporter for Sunday Night Baseball, a coveted position. After 20 years at ESPN, he left for MLB.com and NESN.

Gammons also loves music, and he plays the guitar. Active in the indie rock scene, he released an album in 2006 called Never Slow Down, Never Grow Old, which contains original songs as well as covers of well-known songs, such as Warren Zevon’s “Model Citizen.”

The Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society

by Dr. Arthur Day

Founded in 1902 by William W. Root, M.D., Alpha Omega Alpha is the national honor society for medical students and professionals. The values and mission of the society are embodied in its motto, “Be worthy to serve the suffering.” Dedicated to promoting the highest quality medical care, Alpha Omega Alpha succeeds in its goals by recognizing both student achievement and outstanding teaching, encouraging leadership and humane service in the medical community and academia.

With 120 chapters, Alpha Omega Alpha supports numerous programs, fellowships, and awards for students and physicians. Moreover, the society publishes a lively quarterly journal, The Pharos, which includes poetry and personal essays in addition to articles on medical subjects, ethics, and current national issues. Membership in Alpha Omega Alpha lasts for a lifetime, reflecting a deep personal dedication to the highest ideals of medical scholarship and professionalism. To be nominated, medical students must demonstrate academic excellence, professionalism, and leadership potential. Physicians, including residents, fellows, and faculty, may be nominated after demonstrating these qualities, and physicians who have made distinguished contributions to their profession may be elected as honorary members.

The history of the Alpha Omega Alpha society is fascinating, as it reveals the extraordinary evolution of the ethics of the medical profession in the last century and the society’s role in shaping and dramatically improving this field. Founded with the primary intention of overhauling the medical profession, which at the time was a rather dubious and unregulated one, the society sought to transform the requirements for acceptance into medical school and accordingly elevate the level of medicine to its current status. At the turn of the 20th century, medical school was associated with “rowdyism…immorality, and low educational ideals.” Requirements for entry into medical school were minimal and the education provided was of decidedly shoddy quality and conducted with woefully insufficient equipment or resources. According to a large-scale study documenting medical education at the time, only a few schools, such as Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, provided a quality medical education.

In response to this dismal state, Dr. William Root and a handful of other medical students at the Chicago-based College of Physicians and Surgeons formed the Alpha Omega Alpha society. Their work to reform medical education in the United States played an integral role in establishing the level of excellence and ethics that medical students have since enjoyed in this country and that today sets the standard for medical education worldwide.

Dr. Arthur Day and His Role in the 14th World Congress of Neurological Surgery in Boston, Massachusetts

As Vice President of the 14th World Congress of Neurological Surgery, a gathering of neurosurgeons from every corner of the globe, Dr. Arthur Day contributed to the management of the professional activities and educational endeavors of the meeting.

Taking place in Boston, Massachusetts in 2009, the 14th World Congress of Neurological Surgery consisted of numerous events and meetings to address the latest developments in the field of neurosurgery, along with educational programs to demonstrate advancements to neurosurgical procedures in both didactic and clinical sessions.

In addition, the 14th World Congress of Neurological Surgery presented a number of deserving practitioners with the Young Neurosurgeon Awards, an honor to recognize achievements in scientific and clinical work. Convening in the historic Hynes Convention Center, the 14th World Congress of Neurological Surgery featured the exceptional participation of hundreds of medical professionals, with a series of keynote addresses from some of the top experts in the field of neurosurgery.

Sponsored by the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS), the World Congress of Neurological Surgery meets once per year to foster a spirit of collaboration and information sharing among neurosurgeons worldwide. The World Congress of Neurological Surgery aims to establish and improve the universal standards of neurosurgery, promote and fund research in the field, and address various issues of public health.

Dr. Arthur Day: Co-editor of Neurological Sports Medicine: A Guide for Physicians & Athletic Trainers

A highly regarded neurosurgeon with over 30 years of experience in his field, Dr. Arthur Day was the co-editor of Neurological Sports Medicine: A Guide for Physicians & Athletic Trainers. Published in 2001, the book provides an in-depth study of the causes, ramifications, and treatments of brain injuries that result from sport-related accidents. Included in the book are sections focusing on sport-specific injuries related to boxing, ice hockey, bicycling, and a number of other physical activities. The book is an excellent resource for physicians, athletic trainers, and rehabilitative health care providers alike, as it bridges the gap between cutting-edge research and actionable clinical practice. Trauma to the head or spine are serious concerns for both professional and recreational athletes, as instances of injury are very common. A traumatic brain injury occurs every 15 seconds in the United States alone. One million individuals are treated for head or spine injuries in hospital emergency rooms each year, with fifty thousand cases resulting in death and eighty thousand in permanent disability. One out of every 50 Americans is currently living with the after-effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and researchers have found a link between TBI and the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life. Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) can also have a lasting effect on the brain. Even a minor concussion, if left untreated, can lead to brain damage or even death. A Scottish study recently found that almost 50% of individuals who experience MTBI and do not receive appropriate follow-up care still suffer from some form of disability a year after their initial injuries. Neurological Sports Medicine: A Guide for Physicians & Athletic Trainers is published by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. The book is available by calling (847) 378-0544, or through Amazon.com.