Sportmed clinic not surprised by NHL head injury revelations

When court documents revealed email between NHL brass about mounting concerns over concussions this week, it was of no surprise to those working at a Moncton clinic that deals with sports-related head injuries.

Sportmed Physiotherapy, which is located at the University of Moncton, is primarily in place to serve university athletes, but it also operates a private clinic.

Serge Arseneault, the clinic's owner, helps athletes manage symptoms of concussions when a head injury occurs. 

The clinic works with athletes to establish a baseline of what their cognitive abilities are in the pre-season, which can be used later in the year.

"If there's any ounce of a doubt of a concussion we will redo the test, take them out of the sport, and take precautionary measures," he said.

The focus on hockey and head injuries surfaced again when a series of emails were unsealed by a U.S. federal judge in Minneapolis.

The emails included an exchange between NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, deputy commissioner Bill Daly and former discipline czar Brendan Shanahan in which the executives discuss possible links between fighting in hockey, concussions, depression and drug use.

The judge is overseeing a lawsuit filed by a group of former NHL players who say the league knew, or ought to have known, about the link between repetitive head injuries and long-term brain damage but failed to protect or educate its players.

More than 100 former players are involved in the lawsuit, including Gary Leeman, Dave Christian, Bernie Nichols and Brian Savage.

Old-school attitudes

Ryan Salvis, who used to play for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Moncton Wildcats, recalls being pressured to play despite feeling the effects of a concussion when he was a rookie.

"I remember after practice going to see my coach," he said.

"He was an old-school guy and he kind of just told me, `If you're not gonna play, you should just go home.' Which as a rookie you just go, 'Well I need to play.'"

Arseneault said he is convinced that old-school attitude is changing because players are reporting head injuries more often.

"I know that that attitude has changed," he said. 

"I know that the athletes are much more aware of some of the long-term effects of concussion and some of the risks of returning to play too early."

Symptoms of concussion can include headaches, sensitivity to light, and even depression and anxiety.

Arseneault added that players who return to play with a lingering concussion are at risk of worsening their condition significantly.

Effects linger for years

While doing his master's thesis at McGill University, former Moncton hockey player Jeff Caron met with five former NHL players who were experiencing the symptoms of concussions years after their retirement.

"They're still experiencing headaches or sensitivity to light on a daily basis, and that's 15 years later," said Caron.

"There's also psychological symptoms. For example, something you hear often with former National Hockey League or National Football league players is they [talk] about symptoms of depression and anxiety years later after their careers have ended."

Caron said there's a mentality behind players who choose not to seek treatment for their symptoms.

"Coaches, scouts, they really value people who demonstrate toughness," he said. 

"So that means playing through pain. You're not gonna admit if you're injured or weak."

He described the under-reporting of concussions in the sports world as an "epidemic."