Head injuries – and traumatic brain injuries in particular – account for 30 percent of all injury deaths in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Every day, more than 150 people die from TBIs. Although such injuries can happen to anyone, those in physically laborious professions tend to have higher rates.
It seems like every year, the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves locked in a fierce battle to get to the eastern conference finals of the National Hockey League. This rivalry includes two of the greatest hockey players to ever play the game – Alex Ovechkin for the Washington Capitals and Sidney Crosby for the Penguins. Many consider Ovechkin to be the greatest offensive player in the game and Crosby is considered by many to be the best all-around hockey player.
Despite all of his success, including winning the Stanley Cup, Crosby has had a long history of concussions and has also had a history of taking a long time to recover from them. He has missed a significant amount of playing time due to concussion symptoms. There is serious concern that he may have quality of life issues for the rest of his life following his eventual retirement from the NHL. Continue reading