Sports Medicine – The Sport Journal

Increased Identification of Concussions in High School Wrestlers after Rule Change

Authors: Luis Gude, MD, Gillian Hotz, PHD

Corresponding Author:
Gillian Hotz Ph.D
Lois Pope LIFE Center – 1-40, (R-48)
1095 NW 14^th Terrace
Miami, Florida 33136.
ghotz@med.miami.edu
305-243-4004

Gillian A. Hotz, PhD is a research professor at the University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine and a nationally recognized behavioral neuroscientist and expert in pediatric and adult neurotrauma, concussion management, and neurorehabilitation.

Dr. Hotz is the director of the KiDZ Neuroscience Center, WalkSafe, BikeSafe, and SkateSafe programs, and has been co-director of the Miller School of Medicine’s Concussion Program since 1995. She continues to assess and treat many athletes from Miami-Dade County public and private high schools, the University of Miami, and from other colleges and the community.

Increased Identification of Concussions in High School Wrestlers after Rule Change

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to report on concussions identified in high school wrestlers, and to compare the number of injuries before and after the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) enacted a rule change prior to the start of the 2019-20 season that increased the amount of time that an appropriate health-care professional may use to evaluate for a suspected sport related concussion (SRC) from 30 seconds to 5 minutes during competition.

Methods: The subjects of this study were wrestlers from Miami Dade County public high schools who sustained a sports related concussion from August 2017 to March 2020, identified from the Miami Concussion Model Concussion Injury Surveillance System. The database is compiled from reports submitted by certified athletic trainers after a suspected concussion, post-injury ImPACT tests, and from patients who presented to the University of Miami Sports Concussion Clinic for evaluation.

Results: A total of 37 wrestlers were identified. The 2019-20 academic year accounted for the greatest number of injuries (17, 46%), including the highest number of injuries identified that occurred during competition and practice compared to previous years.

Conclusions: The increase in identified concussions in wrestlers in the 2019-20 season is likely multifactorial given increased knowledge, education, and training on SRC that is targeted to athletes, parents, coaches, and athletic trainers. The increase in the number of injuries identified during competition is also likely attributable to the rule change instituted by the NFHS prior to the start of the 2019-20 season.

Applications in Sport: It is important to identify sport related concussions when they occur so that these athletes may seek treatment and obtain proper clearance prior to return to play, which may decrease the risk of subsequent SRC and long-term sequelae of mild traumatic brain injuries. Our findings support the rule change instituted by the NFHS prior to the start of the 2019-20 season as this increased the amount of time that an appropriate health-care professional may use to evaluate for a suspected SRC and likely contributed to an increase in the number of SRC identified in wrestlers during competition.

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U.S. Sports Academy2021-03-09T08:23:13-06:00March 5th, 2021|Sports Medicine|Comments Off

The R.I.C.E Protocol is a MYTH: A Review and Recommendations

Authors: Domenic Scialoia & Adam J. Swartzendruber

Corresponding Author:
Domenic Scialoia
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
278 Whites Bridge Road
Standish, ME 04084
Email: domenic.scialoia@sjcme.edu
Phone: 617-922-0309

Domenic Scialoia is a recent graduate of Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science with concentrations in Pre- Physical Therapy and Sport Performance.

Adam J. Swartzendruber is an Assistant Professor of Sport and Exercise Science at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine.

The R.I.C.E Protocol is a MYTH: A Review and Recommendations

ABSTRACT

The RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) protocol has been the preferred method of treatment for acute musculoskeletal injuries since its origin in a 1978 publication entitled “Sports Medicine Book” by Dr. Gabe Mirkin. These guidelines have been used by coaches and healthcare providers for over four decades with the intent of expediting the recovery process and reducing inflammation. Although popular, the implementation of this protocol to attenuate the recovery process is unsubstantiated. There is, however, an abundance of research that collectively supports the notion that ice and rest does not enhance the recovery process, but instead delays recovery, and may result in further damage to the tissue. Research in regard to compression and elevation is inconclusive, diluted and largely anecdotal. Definitive guidelines for their application have yet to be purported. As a result of the subsequent research that examined the validity of the protocol, Dr. Mirkin recanted his original position on the protocol in 2015. The objective of this article is to analyze the available evidence within the research literature to elucidate why the RICE protocol is not a credible method for enhancing the recovery process of acute musculoskeletal injuries. In addition, evidence- based alternatives to the protocol will be examined. These findings are important to consider and should be utilized by any healthcare professional; specifically, those who specialize in the facilitation of optimal recovery, as well as those who teach in health-related disciplines in higher education.

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U.S. Sports Academy2020-10-30T10:18:49-05:00October 30th, 2020|Sports Medicine|Comments Off

Comparison of Four Stretching Protocols on Short-Term Power

Authors: Joni M. Boyd, PhD, CSCS*D; Janet R. Wojcik, PhD; Alice J. McLaine, PhD; Zachary Hartman, MS, ATC; and Malik McGill

Corresponding Author:
Joni M. Boyd, PhD, CSCS*D
216 L West Center
Rock Hill, SC 29732
boydj@winthrop.edu
803-323-4936

Joni M. Boyd is an Associate Professor of Exercise Science & Coaching at Winthrop University.
Janet R. Wojcik is a Professor and Coordinator of Exercise Science at Winthrop University.
Alice J. McLaine is an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Athletic Training at Winthrop University.
Zachary Hartman is an athletic trainer in Rock Hill, SC.
Malik McGill is a physical therapy student in Charleston, SC.

Comparison of Four Stretching Protocols on Short-Term Power

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to compare different stretching protocols on vertical jump and long jump. Participants included 22 females and 16 males that completed four different stretching protocols in a randomized, cross-over treatment design. Protocols were performed on separate days, with at least 48 hours of rest in between. Each session began with a 5-minute self-paced jog, followed by one of the four stretching protocols: static-only stretch, dynamic-only stretch, ballistic-only stretch, and dynamic-plus-ballistic stretch. Each stretching protocol lasted for about five minutes. Either participants performed a vertical jump or long jump directly after finishing the stretching protocol, then switched testing conditions. There were no significant differences in vertical jump or long jump performance across the four conditions. Consequently, this study did not support previous research showing performance improvement after dynamic stretching.

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U.S. Sports Academy2020-07-15T11:52:42-05:00October 9th, 2020|Research, Sports Medicine|Comments Off

Assessment of Disinfection Techniques for Decontaminating Athletic Mats

Authors: Max Greisberg
maxgreisberg@gmail.com

Justin Greisberg, MD
Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Columbia University
Chief of Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics
Chief of Orthopaedic Trauma
622 W 168^th St
PH 11^th floor
New York, NY 10032
(212) 305-5604
Fax (212) 305-4024
Jkg2101@cumc.columbia.edu

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

No funding was received for this research.

Assessment of Disinfection Techniques for Decontaminating Athletic Mats

ABSTRACT

Skin infections are a hazard in close contact sports. Disinfection of wrestling mats is widely recommended to reduce the incidence of infection, but there is little to no evidence how best to clean the mats. In this study, microorganism levels from the wrestling mats of two schools were quantified to determine if disinfection reduces the bacterial load from the surface of the mats and in the seams between mat sections; and to determine if using a flat mop is more effective than a string mop. This study found that both techniques were effective in reducing the bacterial load of the mats. However, neither method was effective at reducing bacterial counts in the grooves between mat sections. There was a trend favoring the use of a flat mop over a traditional string mop, but the trend did not meet statistical significance. Future research may focus on whether widespread adoption of these techniques leads to a lower incidence of skin infection in athletes.

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U.S. Sports Academy2020-06-01T11:43:26-05:00August 7th, 2020|Research, Sports Medicine|Comments Off

Decreasing Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in Wrestlers

Authors: Ashley Spires BSN, RN-BC

Corresponding Author:
Ashley Spires BSN, RN-BC
7985 Lancaster Circleville Rd
Lancaster, OH 43130
Ashley.spires@va.gov
614-257-5388

Ashley Spires is Care Manager and Registered Nurse for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, an Ohio University Doctor of Nursing Practice candidate and a youth and middle school wrestling coach at a central Ohio public school system.

Decreasing Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in Wrestlers: Educating Coaches, Protecting Teams

ABSTRACT

Lack of coach education, standardized disinfection protocols, and standardized return to play procedures amongst wrestling programs have led to a high incidence of Skin and Soft Tissue Infections (SSTI) in the school age and adolescent athletic community. An educational intervention was performed with coaching staff in a pre/post intervention study. SSTI rates were calculated both pre and post intervention to assess for effective intervention in reducing SSTI incidence in the youth athletes. Pre-intervention review of aggregate infection data revealed a 22.6% SSTI occurrence rate. Post-intervention the SSTI occurrence rate was reduced to 3.5%. A McNemar chi-square test was run and the results were statistically significant at X 2 (1) = 54.721, p < 0.001. The intervention had a significant impact in lowering the SSTI rate in wrestlers. Future directions include improved education of youth wrestling coaches to include recognition of SSTI as well as best practice disinfection and infection control protocols.

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U.S. Sports Academy2020-05-06T09:25:50-05:00June 26th, 2020|Sports Medicine|Comments Off