Youth Concussion Experts Present Free Webinar: "Tackling Concussions" for Athletes, Coaches and Parents

CHICAGO, July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As ongoing research shows the significant impact concussions have on the young, developing brain, parents and coaches of athletes in contact sports continue to ask:

• How many concussions are too many?
• Will concussions cause my child memory problems or dementia down the road?  
• How do I know if it is time to get him/her out of the game?

Dr. Jeff Mjaanes, Director of the Chicago Sports Concussion Clinic at Rush and a Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) sports medicine physician, along with Mike Overturf, President of the Illinois Athletic Trainers Association (IATA) and Jim Osborne, of the Council on Brain Injury and Positive Coaching Alliance, will address those questions and more at a free webinar, "Tackling Concussions," 7 p.m., Thursday, August 9, 2012. 

Register now to reserve your spot at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/975294288.

Sponsored by MOR, IATA, Positive Coaching Alliance and STOP Sports Injuries, this event is free and open to athletes, parents, coaches and athletic trainers nationwide.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), up to 3.8 million athletes will sustain a concussion every year.  Nationwide, emergency department visits for concussions increased 62 percent between 2001 and 2009.  Consequently, 38 states have implemented laws to reduce the long-term impact of concussions on the brains of young athletes.  

Experts say football players are most at-risk for concussion.  A recently released NFL-commissioned study showed that 6.1 percent of retired players above age 50 reported diagnoses of dementia, Alzheimer's, or other memory-related diseases, compared to 1.2 percent for comparably aged men in the United States.  The recent suicides of several NFL players have drawn even more attention to the long-term effects of multiple concussions and the lasting effects of concussion incurred at a young age.

During the one-hour "Tackling Concussions" webinar, Dr. Mjaanes, who has been treating concussions in young athletes for ten years, will discuss the latest research and educate listeners about diagnosing and treating  a concussion.  Overturf, involved in athletic training for 15 years, will discuss preventative strategies and discuss the critical relationship between athletes and athletic trainers.  Osborne, a 30-year coach and traumatic brain injury professional, will address what coaches need to know.

For more information, visit:  www.rushortho.com.

SOURCE Positive Coaching Alliance; Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush