This past week the settlement of the NFL concussion lawsuit has been all over the news. In my practice and at Bridgewater Medical Group, where we specialize in sports medicine, we followed the headlines with great interest. That’s because I treat athletes, especially young athletes, for whom concussions are a risk, and surely an issue.

The outcome of the settlement established that the NFL will pay $765 million to players and their families over time who were affected by head injuries sustained while playing. Some people see this as a win for the NFL. $765 million, especially over years, is nothing compared to the $10 billion a year the league makes in revenue. The league now avoids being investigated (what did officials know and when?) and doesn’t have to admit to any wrongdoing. The players can now receive compensation that will make it easier for them to pay any medical expenses or simply live a more comfortable life despite health problems.

Other critics, though, are not so sure how good the settlement is for the potential safety of professional football, and hence other levels of football where safety is equally critical, such as the youth game. Since the NFL doesn’t have to be investigated, will it ever change its practices surrounding players’ head injuries? Will concussions keep leading to brain-related diseases down the road? Players and parents must wonder what the implications will be down the line for college, high school, as well as youth football.

Whatever your opinion, it seems that the recent NFL media frenzy has definitely brought concussions and related football injuries even further to the forefront of the sports medicine conversation.

One Sunday in the beginning of September, I was watching ESPN College Football Final. A vicious hit was laid on an Auburn running back by an opposing WSU linebacker. It was replayed over and over again. I don’t condemn the hit; it was certainly a clean one, and a part of the game of football. My question is how do we temper the risk of concussions when there is such jubilation over the violence in the sport, which is also what makes the game so popular.

These are the kinds of issues that have led me through Bridgewater Medical Group to offer a program in Sports Medicine Concussion Management. I monitor athletes of all types who have sustained head injuries and ensure that they are safe and healthy before getting back onto the field.

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