Orthopedic Surgeon Gives Parents and Coaches a Heads Up about Dangers of Concussion

Do You Know the Riskiest (and Most Surprising) Sports for Concussion in Young Athletes?

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Nov 14, 2013, 08:56 ET

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., Nov. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Who gets concussions? It's not always the star quarterback. Girls who play soccer, lacrosse, basketball and volleyball are also at high risk, said Carol Frey, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and author of the new book Don't Worry: My Mom Is the Team Doctor: The Complete Guide to Youth Sports Injury and Prevention for Parents, Players, and Coaches.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131114/PH17198-a )

Co-Authors Carol Frey, MD and Jacob Feder. (PRNewsFoto/Carol Frey) (PRNewsFoto/CAROL FREY)

Book Cover. (PRNewsFoto/Carol Frey) (PRNewsFoto/CAROL FREY)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131114/PH17198-b )

Dr. Frey draws from her experience both as a medical professional and mother whose sons play sports. "I want to give parents and coaches a real heads up about concussion. As an orthopedic surgeon, I can see broken bones and fix them. Concussion is a brain injury. We need to know about it before we can fix it."

"Coaches know the signs to look for such as confusion and clumsy movements. Parents can observe problems in their kids and are often the first to raise a red flag," Dr. Frey said.

"Playing injured is never the right choice," said coauthor and high school athlete Jacob Feder. "Kids need to know it's the right thing to report dizziness or blurry vision."

Some 21% of all brain injuries in children occur during sporting activity; 6% of the annual 2.4 million youth sports injuries seen in ERs are concussions. A significant number of former players have had ill effects from concussions suffered while playing. This has gotten media attention, and for good reason.

"It's the responsibility of the coach to recognize a possible concussion. Often a coach might be concentrating on game strategy and miss the signs. Then it's important for the athlete to step up and tell the coaches or parents about bumps and just not feeling right," said Dr. Frey.

Parents have a role to play, she said. "If you think something's just not right about your child whether on the playing field or after the game or practice, see your doctor immediately."

"I've seen the effects of concussion show up days or weeks after the big game or a hard practice or a fluke hit by a baseball or lineman. These are not symptoms to ignore," she said. Her book documents head-to-toe types of injuries in boys and girls in all sports. She offers "Dr.- Mom-friendly" advice for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.

In the book's Foreword, Olympian Holly McPeak said, "Dr. Frey has written a book that is easy to understand and approaches all aspects of youth sports injuries. With discipline, hard work and taking good care of yourself, anything is possible."

MEDIA: To request a review copy or to book an interview with Dr. Frey, contact Alison Thomsen at Email or (402) 884-5995.

About the Authors
Carol Frey, an orthopedic surgeon who has cared for Olympians and professional and high school athletes, is former chief of foot and ankle surgery at the University of Southern California and now teaches at UCLA. She has appeared as an expert on youth sports injuries for national media. Frey—the "team doctor" and mom to sons who play sports—is a partner in the West Coast Sports Medicine Foundation in Manhattan Beach, Calif. Her coauthor and student athlete son Jacob is a high school senior who wants to be a writer/journalist.