BODIES. IN IMPACT THE SURPRISED MANY. SO WERE THE BEST WAY TO KEEP
OUR STUDENTS AND ATHLETES SAVE?
BRIDGETT IS OVER STANDING BY TO
ASK A DOCTOR.
>> STUDIES SHOW THAT
CHEERLEADERS HAD THE SECOND
HIGHEST OVERALL CONCUSSION
RATE.
THAT IS A STATISTIC THAT MAY BE
SURPRISING BUT SHOWS THE NEED
FOR SAFETY AND INJURY
PREVENTION.
HERE WITH US TODAY WE HAVE
ORLANDO HEALTH SPORTS MEDICINE
SPECIALIST DOCTOR ELIZABETH
DAVIS.
THANK YOU FOR COMING BACK IN
TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THIS
IMPORTANT ISSUE.
AGAIN IT IS SURPRISING TO HEAR
IT THE SECOND HIGHEST RATE OF
CONCUSSIONS WE SEE AMONG
SPORTS.
FOR SO LONG SHARING WAS NOT
EVEN CONSIDERED OF SPORT EVEN
THOUGH IT WAS.
WOULD YOU BE LOOKING AT IN
TERMS OF HELPING GET THIS RATE
DOWN?
>> YES, THAT IS A VERY
IMPORTANT THING TO HIGHLIGHT IS
THAT CHEERLEADERS HAVE A VERY
HIGH RATE OF INJURY.
MOST PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THAT
BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES
CHEERLEADERS ARE NOT STARTED
THE REAL SPORT LIKE FOOTBALL,
SOCCER OR HOCKEY OR THOSE KINDS
OF THINGS.
THOSE ARE THE SPORTS THAT YOU
THINK THOSE ARE THE ONES KIDS
WILL HAVE A LOT OF CONCUSSIONS.
BUT ACTUALLY I SEE A LOT OF
CONCUSSIONS IN MY OFFICE COMING
FROM CHEERLEADERS AND NOT JUST
SOMEONE TO FIND AIR THE ONES
THAT ARE TUMBLING IN THE ONES
THAT ARE HOLDING THE FLYERS.
WHEN THE FLYERS COME DOWN THEY
WILL HIT THE BASE IN THE HEAD
THAT IS HOW THEY WIND UP WITH A
CONCUSSION.
>> SO WHAT CAN WE DO.
IT IS A GREAT SPORT.
I USED TO GO SEE MY NIECE AND
WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS COMPETING
IN HUNDREDS OF CHEERLEADERS
COMING IN FROM ACROSS THE
COUNTRY TO DO THESE GREAT
STUNTS AND ROUTINES.
HOW CAN WE MAKE IT SAFE AND
ENJOYABLE?
>> CHEERLEADING IS A WONDERFUL
SPORT.
SPORT KIDS CAN DO YEAR-ROUND
AND THEY CAN STAY VERY ACTIVE.
IT IS VERY DIFFICULT SO IT
TAKES A LOT OF ENERGY TO DO
THIS PART.
BUT DEFINITELY WE NEED TO KEEP
THOSE KIDS SAFE.
AND THAT IS NOT LETTING THEM DO
THINGS THEY ARE NOT PREPARED TO
DO AND THAT THEY’RE NOT READY
TO DO.
SO SLOWLY BUILDING UP HOW THEY
PRACTICE THINGS IS REALLY
IMPORTANT.
MAKING SURE THAT THE ATHLETES
ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THE THINGS
THEY ARE PARTICIPATING IN AND
NOT DOING SOMETHING THAT THEY
DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH.
THE OTHER ASPECT THAT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT IS THE ATHLETES
THEMSELVES NEED TO RECOGNIZE
WHEN THEY’RE INJURED.
IF THEY DO NOT EVEN UNDERSTAND
MY HEAD HURT OR DO I HAVE A
CONCUSSION I THINK IT’S REALLY
IMPORTANT THAT WE TELL THSE
ATHLETES IF YOU’RE EXPERIENCING
THE SYMPTOMS YOU NEED TO LET
SOMEBODY KNOW.
>> WE HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTING
MORE OF THIS IN POPULAR CULTURE
NOW WITH A DOCU SERIES CHEER
AND SOME OF THIS ISSUES MORE
BEHIND THE SCENES OF WHAT
REALLY GOES ON.
IF YOU ARE NOT A CHEER PARENT
OR CHEERLEADER YOU DO NOT
REALIZE HOW MANY INJURIES COME
INTO PLAY.
IS THERE A RULE OF THUMB OR AN
EASY WAY TO REMEMBER WHAT TO
MONITOR MAYBE SOMEBODY THINKS
THEY ARE HURT OR IF YOU THINK
SOMEBODY MIGHT BE HER?
>> I ALWAYS TELL MY KIDS WHEN I
SEE THEM IN CLINIC IF YOU HAVE
PAIN THAT LASTS A DAY OR TWO
PROBABLY NOT A BIG DEAL.
BUT IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT
IS REALLY NAGGING AT YOU, FOR
EXAMPLE BACK PAIN IS REALLY
COMMON IN CHEERLEADERS BECAUSE
OF ALL THE TUMBLING AND
STUNTING THEY DO.
SOMETIMES THESE KIDS WILL HAVE
BACK PAIN FOR SIX OR EIGHT
MONTHS BEFORE THEY COME SEE ME.
AND USUALLY THE REASON THEY
COME SEE ME IS NOW THEY ARE
BEING LIMITED IN WHAT THEY CAN
DO BECAUSE THE BACK IS
BOTHERING THEM SO MUCH.
SO I ALWAYS TELL THEM IF THIS
IS SOMETHING THAT IS BOTHERING
YOU FOR MORE THAN A WEEK OR TWO
YOU PROBABLY NEED TO BE SEEN.
JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS
NOT SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS
GOING ON.
>> OKAY, AND WHAT ABOUT IN
TERMS OF THERAPY, IS IT ICE OR
CERTAIN THINGS YOU NEED TO DO
SORT OF IMMEDIATELY AFTER MAYBE
TAKING A HARD HIT.
>> REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT IS
TO ICE AND USE IBUPROFEN LIKE
AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND THAT
WILL ALSO HELP WITH THE PAIN.
THE OTHER THING IS STOP THE
ACTIVITY YOU ARE DOING AND TAKE
A COUPL DAYS OFF AND LET
YOURSELF GET BETTER AND THAT
YOUR ATHLETES GET BETTER.
MAKE SURE THEY ARE OKAY BEFORE
YOU SEND THEM BACK TO PRACTICE
HER BACK TO COMPETITION.
>> BRIGHT, BECAUSE YOU DO NOT
WANT TO MISS OUT BUT AT THE
SAME TIME YOU NEED TO GIVE YOUR
BODY THE REST SO THAT YOU CAN
RETURN.
>> EXACTLY THE ATHLETES ARE SO
AFRAID THEY WILL LOSE THEIR
SPOT.
FOR EXAMPLE IN PLAYING FOOTBALL
IF ALLOWED A FOOTBALL POSITION
FOR A LONG AMOUNT OF TIME
SOMEBODY’S GOING TO COME IN AND
TAKE THAT SPOT FOR ME AND THEN
I WILL LOSE IT.
SO THAT IS PART OF THE REASON
TO.
WE REALLY NEED TO ENCOURAGE
THESE KIDS TO TAKE CARE OF
YOURSELF AND IF YOU TAKE CARE
OF YOURSELF YOU’LL BE ABLE TO
PLAY ARE OPTIMAL.
IF YOU DON’T YOU WILL NOT BE
PLAYING YOUR BEST.
>> YES.
THIS IS SOME GREAT INFORMATION
AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL SEE SOME
BETTER NUMBERS AND GET THOSE
CONCUSSION RATES DOWN BUT THANK