Pigs - Donate your brain to science?

[wobbly]

Anyone see ABC TV's Catalyst this week?

Really interesting and scary (for those of us who've been concussed a few times) story about brain injuries suffered by repeated concussions or head knocks. The story of new research on the donated brains of former American footballers and also features former Wallaby Prop Andrew Heath.

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/2873539.htm

I thought of it again last night watching Chiz's lights go out.

Is it time for a rethink on tackling techniques, headshot penalties and concussion precautions???

 

[Newb]

Is it time for a rethink on tackling techniques, headshot penalties and concussion precautions???

it's happening in most other contact sports - hockey and american football especially. but of course the difference is the plastic pads worn in those sports and the propensity for players to take advantage of their protection and turn into missiles. which is what the new rulings and changes in equipment have tried to negate. and in my opinion fairly effectively when looked at properly.

the problem as i see it is different in rugby. doesn't it seem that most head knocks (which is a misleadingly benign term based on what we know to be true about head injuries) are accidental? wrong body level into the tackle, wayward knee at a ruck, etc. rarely does it seem to be from someone getting coat hangered or a purposeful act.

so in that way, i almost feel the rules have done about all they can (but citings are still awful). so protection then? everyone wears a scrumcap? i don't see that flying, but lots of sports have made protective equipment a requirement when it wasn't in the past. and it's usually taken up as the standard without too much issue after a season or two.

maybe campaigns to emphasize proper technique that attempts to minimize dangerous body positions? one of the other options is enforcing limitations on known concussion occurrences. it would be a shame to end someone's career because of it, but say someone exceeds 5 or 6 concussions. eventually they begin to enter a danger zone of long term damage.

 

[waratahjesus]

im actually already signed up to this study through my local hospital.
i suffered 4 concussions in the space of 18 months and as a result has residule swelling on the brain for another 12 months after my last one.

some of the study results have been quite surprising and there needs to be strict guidelines going forward. one thing for me that needs to be addressed more than headgear is if a concussion is suffered a set rule is needed by which the player should not be allowed to return to the game, if its an independant doctor at matches or whatever, concussion should be more than the funny picture of gits with his fingers in the air.

 

[RugbyFuture]

yeh i saw it, it was interesting, i don't think ive ever suffered a concussion though....unless i don't remember

 

[DPK]

This thread should be "Pigs and Outside Centres"

 

[Scarfman]

Yeah, the faster you're running, the more likely for this kind of thing.

 

[Sully]

Yeah, the faster you're running, the more likely for this kind of thing.

Explain my lack off head injuries then.

 

[Ruggo]

im actually already signed up to this study through my local hospital.
i suffered 4 concussions in the space of 18 months and as a result has residule swelling on the brain for another 12 months after my last one.

some of the study results have been quite surprising and there needs to be strict guidelines going forward. one thing for me that needs to be addressed more than headgear is if a concussion is suffered a set rule is needed by which the player should not be allowed to return to the game, if its an independant doctor at matches or whatever, concussion should be more than the funny picture of gits with his fingers in the air.

Let me guess. You showed up to Suncorp wearing that out fit in your profile picture. :lmao:

 

[DPK]

Yeah, the faster you're running, the more likely for this kind of thing.

That and a combination of "Fuck headgear, ill be fi-" *BAM*

 

[EnergizerTaz]

Slightly off-topic but didn't a wrestler kill himself and his family a couple of years ago because he sustained to many blows to the head and had an average of 2-3 concussions a year or something insanely crazy like that.

Bloody scary when you think about it!

 

[waratahjesus]

im actually already signed up to this study through my local hospital.
i suffered 4 concussions in the space of 18 months and as a result has residule swelling on the brain for another 12 months after my last one.

some of the study results have been quite surprising and there needs to be strict guidelines going forward. one thing for me that needs to be addressed more than headgear is if a concussion is suffered a set rule is needed by which the player should not be allowed to return to the game, if its an independant doctor at matches or whatever, concussion should be more than the funny picture of gits with his fingers in the air.

Let me guess. You showed up to Suncorp wearing that out fit in your profile picture. :lmao:

wore the outfit to suncorp, most of the fans that spoke up were your average emo types, the ones that actually gave anything, well the conversation basically went,

QLD FAN- you suck, tahs are shit man
WJ - not really, QLD is far worse
QLD FAN- yeah, there pretty shit, just hope we dont lose by much

was very dissapointing, brumbies fas are stronger willed

 

[wobbly]

I'm happy to donate my shell-like... they won't be needing any formaldehide... it'll come pickled.

 

[Langthorne]

Slightly off-topic but didn't a wrestler kill himself and his family a couple of years ago because he sustained to many blows to the head and had an average of 2-3 concussions a year or something insanely crazy like that.

Surely the long term steroid use contributed too

 

[waratahjesus]

Slightly off-topic but didn't a wrestler kill himself and his family a couple of years ago because he sustained to many blows to the head and had an average of 2-3 concussions a year or something insanely crazy like that.

Surely the long term steroid use contributed too

chris benoit, he actually had brain damage as a result of multiple concussions that had led to delusions and depression, cary shit really

 

[CanadianRugby]

I've only had one concussion, suffered because I got headbutted by an old bastard he wasn't happy that I was younger than he was.

Agree with Newb. As a Canadian and a hockey fan, the contact is hockey is basically designed for concussion, with shoulder and elbows flying into heads. Rugby is already ahead because you, in theory, have to wrap your target. The NFL has the same problem, because wrappying is not required and young football players (in highschool) are taught to lead with your head. Hence plenty of concussions.

Rugby seems better to me. Not nearly as many concussions. Since most of the concussions seem to happen from mistakes (head in the wrong spot, someone falling while getting hit etc...) what could you do? More sanctions for deliberate head shots seems resonable, but what else? It is a contact sport.

Does headgear actually reduce concussions that much?

 

[Pfitzy]

Headgear does nothing to reduce concussion in rugby - the issue is your brain bouncing around or the stem twisting. It will stop a lot of the abrasions and cuts you might otherwise experience... especially us blokes with no hair.

In the first grade game today we had a head clash. One guy had a grade two (unconscious for less than 5 minutes) and will need about 5 or 6 stitches. The other guy got away with a cut to the top of his head. Neither wore headgear but in that case the only difference would have been the second guy might not have got so bad a cut.

I've done some of my best work on the pitch with a Grade 1 concussion