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Signs of a concussion

From The Author

Dan Selin

Thankfully many players have not suffered through a concussion, meaning that many players are not aware of the symptoms. If you or a player you know develop any of these signs, then medical attention should be sought out.

Following a blow to the head caused from falling or being hit, you may feel

• dizziness,
• a loss of balance, and
• you may or may not lose consciousness.

These symptoms may occur immediately. If a player becomes wobbly on the ice, this is a sure sign that the player is concussed. Our head movements are monitored by the vestibular system, which includes the inner ear and its connections to the brain. The vestibular system accomplishes two things–balance and visual focus when the body or head is in motion. The inner ear, an extremely small and fragile area located in the skull just behind the ear, is very susceptible to trauma on impact, which can lead to problems with your balance.

Other signs of concussion following a blow to the head (after a short time) may include:

• headache,
• nausea or vomiting,
• fatigue or difficulty sleeping,
• double vision or blurred vision, and
• a heightened sensitivity to light and sounds.

Mood Changes. Besides physical changes to your body, you may experience emotional changes as well:

• irritability,
• restlessness,
• anxiety,
• depression,
• mood swings, and
• aggression or a lower than normal tolerance for stress.

Changes to your memory and concentration may be apparent:

• short-term or long-term memory problems,
• state of confusion or slower thought processing,
• a state of light-headedness, and
• difficulty staying on task.

Problems that contribute to concussions:

Players don’t train where concussions happen. There is no complete scientific plan to train head-up/chin-up head positions (5 different head positions and thousands of head, eye, skate and stick skill executions)

  • No complete plan that defines every singular neuromuscular skeletal skill pattern(s)
  • No plan means no correction process to enhance skill efficiency.
  • No plan means no skill repetition process to enhance efficiency
  • Limited communication between parents, coaches, and governing bodies.
  • Head down practice and play is not corrected, but allowed to continue.

Drills are the focus of practices, not the skills–when hockey is the most skill-demanding sport in the world. No correction process available to avoid burning wrong neural pathways into the brain.

CPN is so scientific that it can measure:

• a player’s head-up/chin-up head position in all skill executions; and
• head-up/chin-up in severe game battles where the majority of concussions happen

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Players don’t train where concussions happen. There is no complete scientific plan to train head-up/chin-up head positions (5 different head positions and thousands of head, eye, skate and stick skill executions)

“Dan Selin

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