Sunday cyclist, or high-level athlete, injuries spare no sportsman. They make us sad and grumpy and deserve an explanatory sheet in QQOQCP for each one. The idea through this succession of small files is to better understand them, to adopt the right behaviors to avoid them and the conduct to follow to better recover.
I therefore suggest that we cover each time, in the form of “QQOQCP” (What, Who, Where, When, How, How Much, Why) and in as many files as there are the most recurring injuries in cycling and triathlon, all the possibilities of frustration linked to forced rest.
After the knee, the collarbone, saddle pain, back pain, iliac artery endofibrosis, Achilles tendonitis, compartment syndrome et carpal tunnel syndrome, today I am offering you an explanatory sheet – still with the QQOQCP approach – this time for head trauma.
By Jean-François Tatard – Photos: Frédéric Poirier, wikipedia, Pxhere.com, Pixabay.com, Flickr.com
WHAT?
Head trauma refers to the sudden deceleration of the brain. Suddenly, the brain is subjected to very violent deceleration and acceleration forces, which will create a quantity of scattered micro lesions. To make a mechanical comparison: all the cables will be damaged. Often, there can be a loss of consciousness and sometimes even more serious after-effects.
WHO ?
Do you remember that terrible accident in the summer of 1995 that plunged the Tour de France into mourning? The fall of Fabio Casartelli, at the time Lance Armstrong's teammate in the Motorola team, had raised awareness of the risks incurred by riders when they fall without a helmet. Every year in France, around 150 people die after falling off a bike.. And do you want another statistic? In 90% of cases, the cyclist who dies from the consequences of his fall was not wearing a helmet. Most of the time, these deaths are caused by irreversible brain damage, a direct consequence of head trauma.
You who read 3bikes think of your children too! Indeed, we must particularly think about protecting children, because their brains, which are still developing, are much more fragile than ours. They are three times more likely to develop permanent after-effects following a head injury. Still too few children wear helmets regularly. However, the government has made bicycle helmets compulsory for children under 12. But we must continue even after that.
OR ?
While everyone remembers the death of Andrei Kivilev at Paris-Nice 2003, it was also from this date that wearing a helmet in competition was made definitively compulsory by the UCI. However, riders have long kept the habit of continuing to train without a helmet. Big mistake! In 2017, Michele Scarponi died following a fall during training. A skull fracture with hemorrhage and cerebral edema. This is the risk incurred when you fall on your head. It is often a case of cerebral hypoxia, that is to say death of brain cells by compression and lack of oxygen. Intervention must be carried out as quickly as possible. But this is not the only source of injury.
Indeed, a head trauma causes significant physical but also neuro-psychological after-effects. When the worst has been avoided, head trauma victims often suffer from memory problems, mood disorders or even personality changes. All these symptoms obviously have a considerable impact on the victim's family and professional life.
WHEN?
Each time the head swings back and forth, it experiences a violent acceleration and then a violent deceleration. These sudden movements cause damage to the brain's wiring system, called the neuron axons. Nerve cables are stretched or sheared by the shock, which can cause more or less severe damage. The wiring system is completely disorganized in places, and the functioning of the neurons is then interrupted. This can result in a brief loss of consciousness or a prolonged coma.
HOW?
Is a helmet the best solution to protect yourself from head trauma when you are a cyclist? The answer is obviously yes! Helmet wearers are said to be 60% less likely to be seriously injured in the head in an accident than bareheaded cyclists. A helmet has its size and it is important to hammer it home – AT ITS SIZE – to effectively protect the brain and skull. Having a helmet will reduce the violence of the impact.
A helmet has its size and it is important to hammer it – AT ITS SIZE – allows effective protection of the brain and the skull.
In the context of a head trauma, rehabilitation is crucial for recovery. It is often a very comprehensive treatment. Rehabilitation is necessary for patients to recover motor functions. But cognitive disorders may persist, as may concentration problems, decreased attention, or behavioral disorders. tests sensitivity, reflexes, memory and concentration… allow us to obtain a complete vision of what happens after a mild head trauma.
Headaches, fatigue, anxiety, mood swings… even mild head injuries can cause after-effects that only appear long after the accident. A study is currently being conducted to highlight the need for support for even the mildest cases. Don't let it drag on if you are ever affected!
WHY ?
All the disorders I have spoken to you about above appear because the trauma has caused lesions inside the nervous tissue that are invisible even on a scanner. They occur at the level of the axons. They are called diffuse axonal lesions. These conduits are stretched and sometimes even ruptured following trauma. These disorders take a very long time to rehabilitate.
So why is it that when you fall on your head, a helmet is your best savior? For one simple reason: it will be the helmet, and not the skull or the brain, that will absorb the kinetic energy released by the impact. Wearing a helmet will considerably limit the violence of the deceleration in the brain, and therefore the after-effects. We can never tell you this enough: " Put on your helmets, guys! »
CONCLUSION
In the next explanatory sheets, I suggest that we continue to review the injuries that paralyze us most often. Next time we will look at digestive pathologies, plantar fasciitis and periostitis.
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