Edward Hospital program focuses on ways to limit concussions By Michelle Linn-Gust For The Sun September 13, 2012
Many parents know the joy — and fear — of watching a child run onto a football field for a game.
There is pride in the child’s accomplishments and hope that they will play a good game, of course. There is also the worry that they will get injured, perhaps severely.
Those concerns have been brought to the forefront lately with the National Football League’s push to deal with head injuries after a number of high-profile cases of players suffering concussions. Some ex-players say that lingering effects from their head injuries are ruining their lives.
With the spotlight on head injuries, Edward Hospital in Naperville (on September 12) held a special program to give parents and coaches the information they need to know about concussions and how to prevent them.
Expert advice
There is no easy way to prevent concussions, particularly in active sports-minded people, Dr. Henry Echiverri, a neurologist, said at the presentation at Edward Hospital.
“There’s not much we can do to prevent the first phase (of traumatic brain injury). It’s simple: wear a helmet or don’t hit your head,” he said.
