Concussion Prevention Training Program Launches In Michigan

Farmington Hills, Mich. - - The Total Performance Training Center (inside the Total Sports Complex) is taking a proactive approach to the sports concussion problem by launching a training program that actually helps prevent concussions. The program takes 20-30 minutes, 2-3 days a week and is proven to increase the strength and stiffness of the neck and head musculature. The automotive industry has known for years that increasing neck stiffness reduces the G-forces encountered by the brain in crash test dummies.

This concussion prevention program may be new, but it's definitely the future of training. It's already being implemented with college and professional athletes, so the Total Sports Complex is bringing the training to younger athletes.

"We now have evidence that properly training the muscles of the neck and head can reduce the sub-concussive forces athletes encounter during competition," says Kielbaso of the Total Sports Complex. "With this brand new program, we can help athletes in every sport – football, soccer, hockey, lacrosse, MMA, etc. – avoid the long-term damage we see from repetitive blows. It's like an ACL prevention program, except for your brain and spinal cord."

The NFL is spending millions on awareness and just instituted new practice rules to reduce the number of blows the players are exposed to during practices. Several high school athletic associations are also implementing new rules to deal with the issue. So far, everything has focused on how to deal with the athlete after the concussion, but the Research done by the NFL is now revealing that the repetitive sub-concussive blows – the hits that don't knock you out, but just ring your bell a little – are the main culprit behind the long-term brain damage seen in many former athletes. Many of these athletes are now suing major sports organizations because they are mentally and physically disabled due to these blows.

Ph.D. candidate Ralph Cornwell has been conducting research on new training programs and equipment to help reduce the forces encountered during these sub-concussive blows, and to the complex's knowledge, it is the first facility in the country to offer this kind of program to the public. Ten years ago, ACL prevention programs were nothing more than a thought. Today, those programs are being implemented all over the country.

According to Marty Fishhoff of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute (leading ALS research Institute), "a study in the Journal Pediatrics examined concussions in organized youth sports involving ages 8 to 19 stated that Emergency Room visits for 14- to 19-year-olds more than tripled, from about 7,000 in 1997 to nearly 22,000 in 2007. Among ages 8 to 13, visits doubled, from 3,800 to almost 8,000. This is from a more technical study from The American Journal of Sports Medicine, studying the changes in the incidence of concussions in the ten years between the 1997-9 season and the 2007-08 season"

"In sum, 2651 concussions were observed in 10 926 892 athlete-exposures, with an incidence rate of 0.24 per 1000. Boys' sports accounted for 53% of athlete-exposures and 75% of all concussions. Football accounted for more than half of all concussions, and it had the highest incidence rate (0.60). Concussion rate increased 4.2-fold (95% confidence interval, 3.4-5.2) over the 11 years (15.5% annual increase)." The Total Sports Complex saw the alarming statistics and is taking the opportunity to assist athletes with their long-term goals of being athletes.

For more information on the brand new concussion prevention program, call Total Performance in Wixom at 248-669-9818.

Total Sports Complex has been a leader in the indoor soccer business for more than 15 years. We have developed a reputation for being the best for all levels of competition and instruction. Their recently renovated facilities offer fields and rinks for soccer, roller hockey, football, softball, and baseball. The Complex pride itself on employees and the atmosphere they help create in each of the three facilities.

Note for Editors

My name is Tatiana Grant and I am pleased to announce that a new sports-training program has launched in Michigan, that is of interest to parents of student-athletes. I am not sure if you're aware, but there are alarming rates of concussions in athletes that are being linked to ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). The Complex has developed a training program to assist athletes and take preventative measures to protect athletes. The training is similar to ACL training programs that were developed, after the alarming rates of ACL injuries, many years ago.

The Complex has trained a lot of the Detroit Lions, and some of these training methods helped Kyle Vanden Bosch strengthen his neck after his surgery last year. The program is geared towards high school and collegiate athletes, although professional athletes have benefited from the program.

Please let me know your thoughts and if you would be interested in doing a possible story. Find the press release below.

Thanks.

-Tatiana
(248) 514-9620