“Practice makes a man perfect.” This quote holds true for most of us. Let’s not forget the athletes, who preach this and also practice it daily. Athletes are a true source of inspiration for us. Right from cricket, football, soccer, rugby, tennis, and hockey, there are many sports played worldwide. Many people around the globe also play for their passion and enjoy sports. Also, the gym-goers are turning athletic these days flaunting their abs and ripped muscles. Sports and athletes help us to bring out a real winner in you. Being athletic should be practiced by every individual as it does not keep you only mentally fit but physically fit as well. 

Thought over the injury 

A lot of us worry about lifting heavy weights and playing sports which may cause injury to our body. Breaking bones and torn ligaments are very common while playing some sports. The premium quality knee and elbow supporters can work wonders for you. However, if you still hurt your bones, then a 6 - 12 weeks bed rest can help you recover. However, there are other vital organs that need special attention while playing sports. Yes, it's your BRAIN. The brain and heart are the most crucial organs of the body. The brain is located right at the top and controls all the functions of the body. It has the power to rule you because of its supreme cognitive functioning. 

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a blow or a jolt on the head or a penetrating injury that can affect the functioning of the brain. the severity and injury may range from mild, moderate, and severe. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can result in short-term injury or long-term injury. It is sometimes difficult to gauge the extent of the injury as you cannot see it. With a penetrating injury, you can definitely find the location of the injury affecting the particular function of the brain. Whereas with the blow on the head, it is difficult to know the area of injury as it can impact any part of the brain leading to diffuse injury. Such injuries are quite complex. 

The Statistics for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2006- 2014, the number of  Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) related emergency visits, hospitalization and deaths have increased by 53 %. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke said that anywhere between 1.6 million to 3.8 million sports and recreational related Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) are increased across the country. 

FDA authorizes protection towards sports injury

On Feb 26th, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the marketing of new devices that can be worn by athletes aged 13 to 53 years during sports activities which can help to protect the brain from repetitive concussive injury. 

Here is how the Q-collar works. 

The non-invasive Q collar is C-shaped that acts as a shock absorber for the brain by increasing the blood volume to the brain. This particular device helps reduce the cranial movements within the brain. This further reduced the chances of head impacts while playing sports. When worn around the neck, its compressive force to internal jugular veins increases the blood volume in the cranial blood vessels. People experience blunt traumatic injuries when the brain moves with a “slosh”. The Q-collar increases the blood volume creating a tighter fitter for the brain inside the skull and reduces the “slosh” movement. 

Safety and effectiveness of Q-collar 

The FDA assessed the safety and effectiveness of Q-collar with several studies with 284 subjects over the age of 13 years who were participants of the football teams. During the sports season, 139 football players wore Q-collar and 145 did not. All the participants and athletes wore accelerometer devices that measured every impact on the head while playing. They also underwent an MRI scan to check the structural changes before and after the play. Significant changes were found in deeper tissues involved in the transmission of nerve signals in 106 athletes out of 145 athletes who did not wear Q -collar while no significant changes were found in the 107 athletes out of 139 who wore the Q-collar. 

The safety of sports athletes and players is of utmost importance. Sports should be encouraged in the right way for our next generation and we should take care of their safety as well.