Back To Article Brief
Back To Article List
CONCUSSION
Author: Peter Lewis
Martial artists need to understand concussion from two points of view. Causing it is a way of immobilising an opponent and so the ability to concuss it is a goal of training. We also need to know when we or one of our fellows has been concussed and what to do about it. This article will look at all these issues and give guidance in regard to the question: Do we need a doctor?
Concussion, what Is it?
Bruising of the brain is similar to bruising anywhere else. There is swelling, damage to blood vessels, pain and impaired function.
Concussion is serious because·
1. The brain in enclosed in the skull, so bleeding blood vessels and swelling cause increased pressure which can be fatal. Concussion can take up to 48 hours to fully develop.
2. The con cussed person often doesn't realise they are concussed, or how severe their injury is.
For this reason, never let a person who may be concussed decide for themselves if they can fight on. You must make this decision for them. If in doubt, be cautious.
What causes it?
Acceleration. This can include rotational acceleration and deceleration.
We must also consider the differential velocity of the head and the weapon. This means that a blow is much more effective if the victim "walks into it" rather than moving away at the moment of impact, i.e. "going with it".
The ability to "take punches" is a combination of many skills:
1. The ability to read when a punch is coming.
2. Moving the head backwards to reduce the differential velocity.
3. Having strong neck muscles and tensing them at the right time.
4. Supporting the neck and jaw by resting it against the shoulder.
Serious concussions are usually cumulative, i.e. the result of several blows over a short period of time.
Rotation injuries, where the head is spun, are often the most serious. Many of the concussions I have seen in martial arts are not due to impact with another fighter, but to an object in the fighting area, i.e. a wall, a pillar, a bench or a hard floor.
Assessment
Look at the eyes; are they clearly focussed and alert? Do they look glazed? Ask specific questions to check alertness and memory, i.e. "What happened?", "Who were you fighting?", "What is the date today?" You need to know if they lost consciousness at all. ie knocked out.
It is very important to observe concussed people over the first few hours after a concussion and if they are not consistently improving they must continue to have medical observation.
Treatment
If they are unconscious, protect their airway. All martial artists should know how to do this!
Rest and observation are essential.
I always get the patient into a quiet room. A room is not quiet if it has 30 concerned friends, relatives and trainers in it.
Contact a doctor -
• if the patient has lost consciousness;
• if they are confused or cannot remember the incident or what has happened since;
• if they seem to be getting worse;
• if they have other signs such as visual problems, vomiting, changing personality or headache;
• if there is a past history of epilepsy, serious head injuries, drug or other health problems;
• if you are surrounded by 30 concerned relatives, friends and trainers you want to cover yourself legally. (Often a good idea).
...
|
Choose your martialarm
|
|
|
Martialarm Testimonials
"This is the answer to the only problem I had in my martial arts training, 'How to effectively test a technique?' I can now experiment using full power which I could never do before with my normal training partner." L-Baxter"After training in the various martial arts systems for over 22 years and thinking I had seen it all I was extremely surprised to train with your martialarm product. It is truly excellent and proves once again simple ideas are the best." F-Barrasong
"I just started to train in Karate and also Wing Chun. I wanted to train as much as possible but there are only two classes per week. Since I bought the martialarm I now train everynight! This is great for a beginner who wants to train alot!" J. Evans
Looking for other martial arts training dummies?Purchase the Wooden dummy, Versaflex, B.O.B. training partner and boxing bags.
|