NFL and head injuries
by ARebel21 on Aug 11, 2010 3:12 AM EDT
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I realize that current outbreak of news and reports on head injuries to past and present athletes in the NFL has been beaten to death by the media for awhile now. It is a valid concern and something the NFL should look into making as much of a non problem as they can in the future. I noticed a trend with former Gator Percy Harvin and it made me think.
As someone that has never suffered from migraines in my life, I don't really know that much about them. Found it interesting that Harvin was missing days at camp because of severe migraines and remember him missing a game last year because of them as well. Is it normal for someone to miss weeks at a time because of them? To me it begs the question, could this be something more than just a simple crop up of extreme headaches for the young man. At what point do the NFL or the Vikings sit him aside and talk about the fact that there might be more to this than meets the eye? Again, like I said before, I just found it peculiar to strike him down for so long and that it happens repeatedly. I hope that if it is anything more than just migraines, that he has the drive to get it taken care of while he still can and isn't permanently affected by it.
I found a story where it explains that he has struggled with them most of his life and is quoted saying "I don't think I'll ever be cured." (NBC Sports Story) It mentions in the article that the majority of migraines are caused from stress and I can't help but think, isn't he in the wrong business then? I understand a love for the game and the need to make money to survive, but is the constant pressure and stress from an NFL season really what he needs?
Thoughts? Comments?
Not a huge Vikings fan or anything.... I just hate to see another student of the game put himself in harm's way unnecessarily.
Forgive the grammatical errors, I know they are there and don't really care.
One last thing, if my ignorance on migraines pretty much nullifies any point this post might make or question( I don't really know or care to search for the longterm effects of migraines and it's late).. let me know.
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I Can Speak for Migraines.
They’re a bitch. Seriously. It’s not like having a headache where you don’t feel so great but you can muddle through the day. Migraines make you feel like someone has put a machete through your skull. I’ve had some of them that last a few hours and some that have lasted three or four days. They hurt so bad that the pain will make you throw up (sorry, that was gross). I can see how Harvin can miss practice/games due to migraines and certainly wouldn’t call the man weak for “missing a game due to a headache,” like some of my friends have said about him.
Are migraines caused by head injuries? It’s possible. I’ve had a couple of concussions and I don’t recall having migraines before having the concussions but most people start having them in their teens anyway and my first concussion was in high school. But you said that Harvin has been having the since he was a kid so I doubt that’s where the problem lies.
As for them being related to stress – I don’t think so. A normal tension headache may be caused by stress but like I said, migraines are a totally different animal. It’s possible for me to make it through two weeks of studying for and taking finals and never have so much as a headache but be hit by a migraine at a cookout with my friends.
I see no reason for the NFL to sit Harvin down about his “problem” if what they’re trying to do is cut down on brain trauma because migraines and concussions are not one in the same. If their problem is him missing time on the field then that’s another story.
Thanks for the comment.
Like I said I wasn’t entirely sure on the whole migraine thing, as to what the triggers are and what not.
I’m not sure if they are caused or can be worsened by head injuries, just seemed like an avenue that should be explored.
"Go then, there are other worlds than these"-The Gunslinger
I'll throw my hat in the ring here....
I am currently a third-year medical student and have had a few migraines over the years. So, hopefully, I can add something to this conversation. I will say that being in medical school does not mean that I know more than the rest of you do about migraines at this point- I have a LONG way to go. My knowledge on migraines is pretty limited.
Anyway, to answer your questions- migraines suck. I have had three over the past two years, and they are miserable. Catfish Row’s summary in the first post is pretty accurate- I usually just lie in bed for a day or two and keep it extremely dark. Light makes them worse. I also usually can’t stand up without vomiting for most of the first day.
Migraines can be triggered by stress, but these are usually more of the tension headache variety. Mine usually come out of the blue (i.e. untriggered). I have no idea whether they can be triggered by concussions. I am sure it is somehow possible, but if head trauma routinely caused migraines it would seem like he would have a migraine all season-long considering how often he gets hit.
The weird thing about this story to me the fact that he has missed something like FIFTEEN straight days of practice with the “migraines.” I don’t want to be a conspiracy theorist, but I would guess there is more going on. It could be he is having serious issues dealing with the death of his grandmother, maybe he has another injury they aren’t disclosing, who knows- I wouldn’t want to speculate too much since I am withdrawn from the story. But, I am not sure migraines would keep you out for more than two consecutive weeks. I imagine they are just using the migraine diagnosis to cover up what is going on since he has dealt with them in the past.
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