22 Apr Football-CTE Link
“Certainly yes,” was the response of Jeff Miller, senior vice president of health and safety for the National Football League, when asked at a recent congressional hearing on concussions if there is a connection between football and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a degenerative neurological disease caused by repeated traumas to the head and is diagnosable only post-mortem. 90 to 94 percent of deceased NFL players whose brains have been studied have presented with CTE, said Boston University neuropathologist Dr. Ann McKee at the same hearing. Miller’s remark comes as the US appeals court is getting ready to rule on the fairness of a billion-dollar settlement between the NFL and more than 20,000 retired players who now suffer from neurological diseases. Prior to Miller’s statement, which has not been met with full support by senior league officials, the NFL has never said there is a definitive link between football and CTE.
Repeated bodily trauma of any kind can cause long-term effects, and all retired players are encouraged to received specialized care. The doctors of the Illinois Pain Institute are the official pain physicians for the Retired Professional Football Players Association of Illinois.