What on earth is a CryoHelmet? And why would you want one in your first aid kit?
Dr. Doug Farrago is glad you asked. Here’s what he has to say:
For the past two years I have been consumed with the treatment of concussions. I personally had three bad ones in my own life. My son lost a full year of football after a head injury as well. At that time, his teachers didn’t even give him a break from schoolwork as they would now. I’m glad we’re getting more knowledgeable about head injuries and that public awareness is growing, but my concern is that no new treatment has been added.
All we do is keep these kids out of activity and that’s what really drives me crazy. I knew there had to be more we could do. I started to scan the research and found something very interesting. Cooling the brain seems to really help control the damage and help it heal. That is when I teamed up with All-Star Sports to create the CryoHelmet, a portable ice unit for head injuries.
Study after study I looked at showed that head injuries could be treated with therapeutic hypothermia or icing. The rat studies are phenomenal and the human studies in severe traumatic brain injuries are positive as well. Minor head injuries, of which concussions are a part, unfortunately have not been studied much. That is changing and the CryoHelmet is proud to be a part of it. Until the CryoHelmet came along, there was nothing efficient, effective or portable to use on the field or in research studies. Now there is.
As the protocols stand today, the athlete is just required to rest. While I believe rest is crucial, I also feel icing the head and cooling the brain has enough healing properties that warrants its use. Why?
The potential benefits such as decreased brain inflammation and decreased neuronal death, are huge, while there are no known negative consequences. That’s why a few different concussion clinics around the country are already putting the CryoHelmet to use, one of them being Dr. Marc Hilgers.
If your child or grandchild plays a sport that involves any contact, then please look into getting a CryoHelmet. If you’re an athletic trainer or know one at a school, explain why a CryoHelmet (at least one) should be frozen and ready to go at each athletic contest in case a concussion occurs. Encourage them to check out IceYourHead.com to learn more about the benefits of therapeutic hypothermia for concussions and other head injuries.
Please like us on Facebook@CryoHelmet and follow us on Twitter@CryoHelmet to help spread the news. This costs you nothing and really helps us out. As a bonus, we’re posting new information as it comes out, so you’ll be updated continuously on the latest research.
Oh, one more thing. The research on using ice for migraines and insomnia is really impressive as well. Instead of meds, why not try the CryoHelmet? Once again, there are no side effects! If you don’t already have one in your first aid kit, check out the CryoHelmet website to learn why you might want to get one soon.
A man staggered into a hospital with a concussion. He had multiple bruises, two black eyes and a 5-iron wrapped around his throat.
“What happened to you?” the doctor asked.
“Hmm . . . I was golfing with my wife when she sliced her ball into a field of cows. I found a ball stuck in a cow’s fanny. Pointing to the cow’s rear end, I yelled to my wife, ‘this looks like yours.’ I don’t remember anything after that.” JokeBook
If you want to learn more about how to prevent concussions and other sports-related injuries, check out Sports Medicine Institute, Aspen Sports Medicine Foundation, American Sports Medicine Institute, National Center for Sports Safety or other similar organizations dedicated to preventing injuries.
