A Malaysian medical expert stresses that it is important to educate and train athletes, coaches, and even parents, on how to deal with concussion-related injuries, especially among children, to minimise risks.
This comes following a recent study which revealed that former international rugby players were 15 times more likely to develop motor neurone disease caused by injuries to the head during their playing days.
Dr Azril Syazwan Ali said experts are aware of the risks but there have only been a few studies on the subject and the evidence was “still not very strong”.
“Because of this, people tend to underestimate the impact of concussions, and it is my job to promote, educate, train, and equip medical and non-medical personnel on how to deal with concussion injuries,” said Dr Azril, who is attached to the National Sports Institute.
Dr Azril’s special interest is in the area of sports-related concussions. He is an internationally-recognised rugby pitch side medical care training instructor and was the first Malaysian to serve as Match Day Doctor at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
The study by researchers from the University of Glasgow used 32 years’ worth of data to track the health of 412 former Scottish men’s international rugby union players, matched for age, sex, and socio-economic status, with 1,236 members of the public.
Consultant neuropathologist Professor Willie Stewart, who led the research, said the findings raised immediate concerns for rugby authorities to mitigate the risks. World Rugby, in welcoming the findings of the study, called for the elimination of contact training and a reduction in the global calendar.
“These studies are good. But it is also very common that such studies or articles related to them will trigger alarm bells, especially among new parents. Those who are not familiar with the sport, and the precautions that have been taken by the sports bodies, will have a different impression of the matter,” said Dr Azril.
“By training the right people, we will be able to lessen the injury. We also need to eliminate fear, especially among parents.”
Dr Azril said Rugby World Cup adopted state-of-the-art methods in managing concussions, using software, and Hawk-Eye technology, among others.
“That’s an example of the high level of commitment. When people see the effort being made, it will trickle down to Asian rugby and the individual unions.”
He added that parents also have to be educated.
“They (the parents) have to be involved, and be a part of the team.
“I‘ve been in the (rugby) system and I am aware of the system. All we need is open communication. There’s free access to World Rugby modules (injury prevention and risk management). People can get access and be trained.”
Dr Azril added that NSI is introducing many important elements of coaching in various courses. He said it was important for coaches to know the basics, including life support, first aid, and how to treat medical injuries, especially when dealing with athletes involved in contact sports.
