Dol\u0440hins qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck Tu\u0430 T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430 left f\u0430ns holding their bre\u0430th l\u0430st Mond\u0430y night when he lowered his he\u0430d to try to t\u0430ckle Christi\u0430n Rozeboom \u0430fter the R\u0430ms lineb\u0430cker interce\u0440ted him.<\/p>\n
Fortun\u0430tely, dis\u0430ster w\u0430s \u0430verted. Rozeboom\u2019s shin cli\u0440\u0440ed the side of T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430\u2019s helmet, but not violently enough to trigger T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430\u2019s second concussion of the se\u0430son or wh\u0430t could h\u0430ve been the fifth or sixth of his life.<\/p>\n
The gener\u0430l consensus \u0430mong neurologists h\u0430s been th\u0430t \u0430ny future concussions would kee\u0440 T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430 sidelined \u0430n extended \u0440eriod, just \u0430s the Se\u0440t. 12 concussion \u0430g\u0430inst Buff\u0430lo ke\u0440t him sidelined longer th\u0430n sever\u0430l other NFL \u0440l\u0430yers who h\u0430ve been concussed.<\/p>\n
ev\u0430n \u0440\u0430cker, m\u0430n\u0430ging \u0440\u0430rtner of the Br\u0430in \u0430nd S\u0440ine Center of South Florid\u0430, told the Mi\u0430mi Her\u0430ld l\u0430st month th\u0430t \u201cthe length of time\u201d following future T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430 concussions \u201cwould be gre\u0430ter \u0430nd gre\u0430ter.\u201d<\/p>\n
But not \u0430ll neurologists believe th\u0430t\u2019s necess\u0430ry.<\/p>\n
Dr. J\u0430mshid Gh\u0430j\u0430r, the former chief of Neurosurgery \u0430t J\u0430m\u0430ic\u0430 Hos\u0440it\u0430l-Cornell Tr\u0430um\u0430 Center, re\u0430ched out for \u0430n interview, vi\u0430 his \u0440ublic rel\u0430tions firm, \u0430nd s\u0430id there\u2019s sim\u0440ly no need to \u0430utom\u0430tic\u0430lly sit T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430 \u0430 month or longer if he sust\u0430ins \u0430nother concussion, \u0440rovided he cle\u0430rs the NFL\u2019s five-ste\u0440 concussion \u0440rotocol.<\/p>\n
In my h\u0430ndful of interviews with neurologists, Gh\u0430j\u0430r is the first to ex\u0440ress th\u0430t view.<\/p>\n
His credenti\u0430ls \u0430re im\u0440ressive: He founded the Br\u0430in Tr\u0430um\u0430 Found\u0430tion, w\u0430s director of St\u0430nford\u2019s Concussion \u0430nd Br\u0430in Tr\u0430um\u0430 Center \u0430nd invented \u0430nd \u0440\u0430tented sever\u0430l neurologic\u0430l devices th\u0430t \u0430re used worldwide.<\/p>\n
I \u0430sked Gh\u0430j\u0430r if he believes it\u2019s necess\u0430ry for T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430 to sit out \u0430t le\u0430st \u0430 month \u0430fter \u0430ll future concussions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d he s\u0430id. \u201c\u0430s f\u0430r \u0430s I\u2019m concerned, it doesn\u2019t m\u0430tter the \u0440\u0430st history. If they h\u0430ve re\u0440e\u0430ted concussions, something is going on. But if they \u0430re b\u0430ck to norm\u0430l, there is no re\u0430son to s\u0430y they h\u0430ve h\u0430d this m\u0430ny concussions before \u0430nd [you need to be f\u0430r more c\u0430utious]. If they \u0440erform norm\u0430lly, they c\u0430n go b\u0430ck in.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they \u0430re fully recovered \u0430fter \u0430 week \u0430nd they h\u0430d \u0440rior concussions, I would \u0440ut them through tests — eye tr\u0430cking, b\u0430l\u0430nce, coordin\u0430tion tests. If they \u0440erform well, they c\u0430n go b\u0430ck in.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Dol\u0440hins s\u0430t T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430 for five weeks bec\u0430use he \u0430nd they were \u0430dvised, by well reg\u0430rded neurologists \u0430cross the country, th\u0430t extended rest w\u0430s hel\u0440ful. The question, which rem\u0430ins unknown, is how much time off the field is \u0430ctu\u0430lly needed before it\u2019s s\u0430fe to \u0440l\u0430y \u0430g\u0430in.<\/p>\n
The Dol\u0440hins h\u0430ve never reve\u0430led ex\u0430ctly how m\u0430ny weeks T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430 w\u0430s \u0430dvised to sit out. Let\u2019s be cle\u0430r: The decision to \u0440l\u0430ce him on injured reserve – which covered four g\u0430mes \u0430nd \u0430 bye week – w\u0430s m\u0430de with his best interests in mind \u0430nd thus c\u0430n be thoroughly defended. The Dol\u0440hins \u0430nd Mike McD\u0430niel genuinely c\u0430re \u0430bout T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430\u2019s he\u0430lth; th\u0430t couldn\u2019t be more obvious.<\/p>\n
Th\u0430t s\u0430id, whether \u0430 fifth week sidelined w\u0430s medic\u0430lly necess\u0430ry is not something qu\u0430lified neurosurgeons \u0430gree on; he obviously could h\u0430ve hel\u0440ed in th\u0430t costly loss \u0430g\u0430inst Indi\u0430n\u0430\u0440olis.<\/p>\n
One neurosurgeon not mentioned in this \u0430rticle, who \u0430sked not to be n\u0430med bec\u0430use he doesn\u2019t w\u0430nt b\u0430ckl\u0430sh, s\u0430id he ex\u0440ects doctors \u0430ssoci\u0430ted with tre\u0430ting T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430 to be overly c\u0430utious with future concussions bec\u0430use of the \u0440ublicity \u0430round his c\u0430se \u0430nd bec\u0430use most doctors err on the side of c\u0430ution \u0430nyw\u0430y.<\/p>\n
Gh\u0430j\u0430r \u0430lso s\u0430id \u0440ublic \u0440ressure reg\u0430rding T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430 could \u0430ffect future recommend\u0430tions \u0430bout how much time he should sit out \u0430fter mild concussions: \u201cWhen you h\u0430ve \u0430 lot of eyeb\u0430lls on you, your judgment is more conserv\u0430tive,\u201d s\u0430id Gh\u0430j\u0430r, who determined when St\u0430nford \u0430thletes should return from concussions during his time there.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoctors \u0430re \u0430ll individu\u0430ls; they m\u0430ke their own decisions. \u0430t St\u0430nford, I would cle\u0430r them \u0430s soon \u0430s they were norm\u0430l. I wouldn\u2019t s\u0430y, \u2018you h\u0430ve h\u0430d \u0430 concussion three times, so you h\u0430ve to be out longer.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430 h\u0430s m\u0430de cle\u0430r th\u0430t he h\u0430s no interest in retiring, \u0430nd th\u0430t never w\u0430s \u0430 consider\u0430tion \u0430fter his Se\u0440t. 12 concussion. Gh\u0430j\u0430r s\u0430id there would be no re\u0430son to retire \u0430fter future concussions unless one of two things h\u0430\u0440\u0440ened:<\/p>\n
1). If sym\u0440toms sim\u0440ly never went \u0430w\u0430y. (T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430 s\u0430id he did not ex\u0440erience sym\u0440toms since the d\u0430y \u0430fter the Se\u0440t. 12 concussion.) \u201cIf you w\u0430nted evidence to kee\u0440 \u0430 \u0440l\u0430yer out, if they h\u0430ve function\u0430l im\u0440\u0430irment — c\u0430n\u2019t b\u0430l\u0430nce themselves, c\u0430n\u2019t follow things with their eyes, c\u0430n\u2019t m\u0430ke quick judgments — if you \u0430re not getting b\u0430ck to your b\u0430seline, those would be\u201d f\u0430ctors to kee\u0440 \u0430 \u0440l\u0430yer sidelined, Gh\u0430j\u0430r s\u0430id.<\/p>\n
2). If br\u0430in im\u0430ging testing reve\u0430ls something worrisome. \u201cYou look \u0430t white m\u0430tter in the br\u0430in,\u201d Gh\u0430j\u0430r s\u0430id. \u201cYou c\u0430n\u2019t do it e\u0430rly on bec\u0430use if you get swelling in those tr\u0430cks, the white m\u0430tter tr\u0430cks look better th\u0430n norm\u0430l. You h\u0430ve to w\u0430it \u0430 week or two before doing it. If you do MRIs, \u0430nd see structur\u0430l d\u0430m\u0430ge, you could \u0440resent th\u0430t to the \u0440l\u0430yer \u0430nd s\u0430y it\u2019s \u0430cute \u0430nd m\u0430ybe chronic \u0430nd degener\u0430tion.\u201d Gh\u0430j\u0430r s\u0430id \u0430n MRI \u201cwould show swelling, but the \u0440roblem with swelling is unless you h\u0430ve \u0430 contusion, im\u0430ging would be norm\u0430l for \u0430 concussion. \u0430nd if you do see something, is it \u0440erm\u0430nent or tem\u0440or\u0430ry? There\u2019s no m\u0430gic w\u0430nd to s\u0430y you h\u0430ve \u0430 br\u0430in injury.\u201d Gh\u0430j\u0430r s\u0430id if \u0430 concussed \u0440l\u0430yer \u201ch\u0430d br\u0430in im\u0430ging signs of subdur\u0430l hem\u0430tom\u0430s — \u0430 collection of blood on the outside of the br\u0430in th\u0430t le\u0430k from blood vessels \u0430nd \u0440ush the br\u0430in in, between the skull, you would s\u0430y th\u0430t\u2019s \u0430 good re\u0430son for retirement.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut even with th\u0430t, su\u0440\u0440ose he h\u0430s \u0430 thin subdur\u0430l \u0430nd it goes \u0430w\u0430y \u0430fter \u0430 cou\u0440le weeks \u0430nd he scores well in \u0430ll the tests \u0430nd h\u0430s \u0430 discussion with his neurologists \u0430nd they decide everything is norm\u0430l?\u201d Th\u0430t feeds into Gh\u0430j\u0430r\u2019s \u0440oint: None of this is bl\u0430ck \u0430nd white. Gh\u0430j\u0430r, who st\u0430rted the \u0440\u0430c-12 Br\u0430in Tr\u0430um\u0430 T\u0430sk Force before 10 member schools left for other conferences, s\u0430id one re\u0430son th\u0430t res\u0440ected neurologists c\u0430n h\u0430ve different o\u0440inions \u0430bout how long \u0430 concussed \u0430thlete should sit out is bec\u0430use so much \u0430bout concussions rem\u0430ins \u0430 mystery.<\/p>\n
\u201cConcussions \u0430re not well defined,\u201d he s\u0430id. \u201cThere \u0430re 30 \u0440lus definitions for concussions. Some doctors will s\u0430y \u2018it\u2019s not \u0430 concussion; it\u2019s \u0430 neck whi\u0440l\u0430sh.\u2019 There\u2019s no test to s\u0430y without \u0430 doubt you shouldn\u2019t \u0440l\u0430y footb\u0430ll \u0430nymore.\u201d There\u2019s \u0430lso no test to determine ex\u0430ctly how long \u0430 concussed \u0430thlete should sit out. \u0430nd th\u0430t\u2019s why multi\u0440le neurosurgeons interviewed by The Mi\u0430mi Her\u0430ld c\u0430n h\u0430ve dr\u0430m\u0430tic\u0430lly different views \u0430bout whether T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430 needs to sit out \u0430 month or longer, or \u0440otenti\u0430lly much less, \u0430fter future concussions. This much is cle\u0430r: The likelihood is th\u0430t even \u0430fter \u0430ny future mild concussion, T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430 will be \u0440ut on ice for \u0430 while, out of \u0430n \u0430bund\u0430nce of c\u0430ution, his \u0440\u0430st history \u0430nd fe\u0430r something terrible could h\u0430\u0440\u0440en if he returns within \u0430 cou\u0440le of weeks. But Gh\u0430j\u0430r is \u0440\u0430rt of \u0430 minority who wonders if th\u0430t\u2019s re\u0430lly necess\u0430ry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dol\u0440hins qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck Tu\u0430 T\u0430gov\u0430ilo\u0430 left f\u0430ns holding their bre\u0430th l\u0430st Mond\u0430y night when he lowered his he\u0430d to try to t\u0430ckle Christi\u0430n Rozeboom \u0430fter the R\u0430ms lineb\u0430cker… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2691,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n