Red Sox: Setting the Model for Concussion Treatment

The Boston Red Sox’ Careful Treatment of Brock Holt’s Concussion is the New Standard for Professional Sports Teams.

Boston Red Sox swiss-army knife Brock Holt has been sidelined since May 9th with a concussion. Holt sustained the concussion in a game against the Athletics; then, mistaking the concussion for dizziness, he played through the injury for a week before being placed on the Disabled List on May 20th.

When Holt finally was moved to the DL, the Red Sox were unaware that Holt had been playing concussed for over a week. However, Holt informed the team of his worsening symptoms– prompting a trip to the 7-Day Disabled List retroactive to May 20th.

The Red Sox have taken a conservative approach to Holt’s concussion; and, in 2016, sports franchises largely have no other choice. Concussions are immeasurably dangerous. Very simply, a concussion is when the head is hit with such force that the brain smashes against the sides of the skull causing brain bruising, bleeding, and other damage.

Some fatal neurological ailments do not fully reveal themselves until death; discovered by Dr. Bennett Omalu and popularized by the recent movie Concussion, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (or ‘CTE’) is the black death of concussions. CTE has claimed the lives of former athletes such as NFL Hall-of-Fame Linebacker Junior Seau and BMX biker Dave Mirra. Because CTE can only be diagnosed post-mortem, some of the progress that can be made on concussion treatment is unreachable.

For nearly a century, sports have not taken the dangers of concussions seriously. Initially called “punch drunk syndrome,” concussions and brain damage killed so many athletes in the early 1920’s that President Roosevelt convened an athlete safety summit at the White House.

Today, the Boston Red Sox are taking every possible precaution to assure the safety of their athletes. Holt has now twice seen a concussion specialist in Pittsburgh; a strict recovery protocol has been set to ensure that Holt does not further exacerbate his symptoms. One of the unique dangers of concussions is that they can lead to other ailments, such as “Second-Impact Syndrome.”

Second Impact Syndrome, or SIS, is when an athlete or other concussed person receives a second impact to the brain, usually causing irreparable damage. When an athlete returns to the field of play, and unknowingly has a concussion (like Brock Holt), they are at an extremely high risk of getting SIS because of the brain’s already vulnerable, sensitive state. That is why such seriousness exists around the establishment of concussion protocols.

Holt, by his own admission, has been slowed in his recovery by lingering symptoms; unlike a broken arm or leg, medical staff has to work mostly off of what the player self-reports.

"“I have to be honest with the training staff and honest with myself about how I’m feeling,” Holt said. “That’s something that’s hard for me because I’ve always been the kind of guy that if I feel like I can go, I’ll play. I’ll play through stuff. And all of us do that.”"

Because of the competitive nature of professional sports, many players feel the need to push through concussions. However, as teams and leagues have begun to appreciate the dangers of neurological injury, they often stand as the barrier between the player and potential catastrophic harm.

After Holt did not continue to consistently improve, the Red Sox placed him on the 15-day Disabled List. Increasing Holt’s recovery time, the Sox hope, will allow his brain to heal and the symptoms to subside.

"“Little headaches, but it’s not even that,” he said. “It’s just,  it’s so hard to explain. I tried to explain it to the coaches and training staff. It’s like, when I’m doing something, I’m hitting, moving my head around, I get done and I still feel like I’m moving. My eyes aren’t 100 percent focused…. After I’m done tracking balls, moving around, moving my head, it still feels like I’m moving.”"

Although Holt’s recovery has been slowed, the Red Sox need to be commended for their approach to his injury. In the past, professional teams have been willing to give a player the old “day-to-day” to heal; but concussions are not “day-to-day,” they have potentially fatal implications.

So, is there a way to prevent concussions? At the moment, no. Preventative medicine for a concussion would act as a buffer between the skull and the cells of the brain, so that if an impact does occur, brain damage does not.

The Red Sox could use Holt back; his defensive versatility and ability to grind out at-bats will be integral to the Sox’ success going forward. Hopefully, his injury heals sooner rather than later. Holt will likely need a short minor-league stint before he is entirely ready to be called back up to Fenway Park.

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