Players kept in games after concussion, despite dire health effects, says rubgy’s Jamie Cudmore
Former international rugby star Jamie Cudmore has sounded a warning about head injuries and sport, saying players were under such pressure from their coaches and fans to continue the game after a bad knock that they were putting their long-term health at risk.There is growing evidence that repeated head injuries are associated with degenerative brain conditions later in life, which makes athletes who play contact sport such as rugby, soccer and boxing particularly vulnerable. However, there are still such limitations on scientists’ understanding of the mechanics of brain injuries that there are no objective tests to determine how badly athletes have been hurt. Although sporting bodies around the world have guidelines in place to determine whether players who sustain head injuries during a match should play on, they are based on subjective assessments and are frequently ignored, Cudmore said on Thursday at the EuroScience Open Forum (Esof) 2018 in Toulouse. Esof is Europe’s biggest i...
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