In the new movie Concussion, premiering Christmas Day, Will Smith plays a Forensic Pathologist who discovers neurological deterioration (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) in football players. He goes on to spread the word about concussions to help keep athletes safe. This blog aims to do the same.

What exactly is a concussion? According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a concussion is a traumatic brain injury where a blow to the head causes the brain to move back and forth in the skull. This movement in the brain can change chemicals in the brain and bruise it. Concussions can also lead to more serious issues later in life, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

What sports are they most prevalent in? For male athletes, they are most prevalent in football and hockey, whereas for female athletes, it is soccer and lacrosse.

How do I know if my athlete has a concussion? Symptoms of concussions include: loss of consciousness, memory, or coordination; headache or feeling of pressure; nausea or vomiting; fatigue or sluggishness; and ringing in the ears. If you suspect your athlete of having a concussion, it is important to bring them to a doctor right away.

What is the best way to overcome a concussion? The only way to recover is giving the brain time to recover. This involves restricting activity as well as giving it the rest it needs, which includes reducing screen time on computers and TVs as well.

How can we prevent concussions? The only way to fully prevent sport-related concussions would be to abstain from sport; however there are preventative measures that can be taken to reduce risk. Make sure that you wear the proper equipment for the sport, use proper technique for physical contact sports, follow the rules when it comes to tackling, checking, etc., and have good sportsmanship.

Concussion premieres December 25th. Be sure to check it out!’

Phil Hansen was going to school to become an artist when he discovered something that he thought would end his career before it even began. He had developed a shake in his hand from using pointillism—a painting technique in which small dots are applied in patterns to form a single image. Because he could no longer create art through his preferred method, he decided to drop art school and art altogether. However, years later he decided to return to art and saw a doctor about his condition. The doctor changed his life with a single question: “Why don’t you just embrace the shake?”

Hansen’s TED talk describes his inspiring journey to find his new calling through art: “And I realized, if I ever wanted my creativity back, I had to quit trying so hard to think outside of the box and get back into it.” Athletes can mirror this idea by spending time going back to the beginning and thinking about what aspects of their sport made them fall in love with it in the first place. More importantly, this talk—and what we can all take from it—is about remembering what makes us unique and what strengths we have.

As his talk comes to a close, Hansen professes: “Limitations may be the most unlikely of places to harness creativity, but perhaps one of the best ways to get ourselves out of ruts, rethink categories, and challenge accepted norms. And instead of telling each other to seize the day, maybe we can remind ourselves every day to seize the limitation.”

Everyone has a “shake” or weakness, and although this insecurity may seem like a flaw it is simply something that makes you unique. However, because “shakes” are unique to each individual, it may seem as though you are the only one with that particular “shake.” Sometimes, that results in athletes defying their shakes in the attempt to be “normal.” This perspective is understandable considering technicalities in sports require athletes to follow certain rules and regulations. As a result, it is hard for them to both accept and figure out an alternate path to take toward the designated goal. Although taking another route for the sport or skill they are working toward will be an adjustment, it will make them a stronger athlete with stronger weaknesses.

Athletes have the ability to embrace whatever “shakes” they have just like Phil Hansen. Rather than letting the shake define them, athletes can define it for themselves and use it as a performance enhancement they never knew they had. In other words they can seize the limitation in their shake. Believe in what makes you different; never give up on something just because it is not viewed as typical. Most importantly, embrace your shake.

See Hansen’s inspiring talk here.

For athletes, heart health is one of the many benefits of maintaining the active lifestyle that they do; however, having a heart with structural changes to cope with athletic demands can sometimes come with complications. Symptoms such as chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, passing out, and irregular heart beats are all signs to go see a doctor.

Another issue with the hearts of athletes is genetic or irregular heart conditions. Heart conditions are often undiagnosed and can lead to serious life threatening consequences like cardiac arrest while playing a sport. One of the most common heart conditions involved with causes of sudden death in athletes is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)—the enlargement of the heart muscle to a dangerous size—which is commonly undiagnosed.

The key to keeping your athlete safe is detection. To help determine if your athlete has a heart that could potentially be at risk, be aware of familial health history and learn what symptoms to look for. If you know your athlete could be at risk, consult a doctor and arrange to have further testing done. If they don’t seem at risk but you notice your athlete begin to exhibit something similar to any of the symptoms, err on the side of caution and go see a doctor. From then on the doctor or specialist can determine what the next best course of action is. This could range from testing, monitoring athletic activity, or refraining from athletics altogether. Sometimes the best way to protect the heart is to stop athletic activity and let it return to normal size. This gives it a chance to work properly without all the stress of performing under athletic conditions.

Overall, athletes having heart conditions are nothing to panic about—just be aware. Just like you are aware of your athletes’ injuries, you need to be aware of the potential injury their hearts could have. The heart is just like any other muscle in the body that can become pulled or strained. Many people have heart conditions and can live normal lives, but being an athlete puts more stress on the irregularity of the heart, which can cause more serious issues. Remember being informed is crucial and to take precaution through prevention, detection, and diagnosis. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

For more information, check out the following links:

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Athletic heart syndrome