Cliff Butler is an experienced osteopath and the director at Williamstown Health. He sat down with me to talk about his journey so far and why concussions are becoming much more common in sports.
On how he started his job: "About 10 years ago, I had a young man come in with a concussion, and I had absolutely no idea how to help this guy.
“I didn’t know where to turn; there weren’t too many clinics out here in Australia, and it would take about three months to get help.
“We have just done a lot of research and work with this gentleman and saw how much of a difference we could make.”
Cliff doesn’t just see sporting injuries; he has individuals who may have been involved in car accidents or just day-to-day life, but he reckons that AFL is the sport with the most concussions at the moment.
“We are seeing a lot of AFl athletes from junior all the way to senior as well, meaning it’s not just an elite level issue; we are seeing more Lacrosse players as the game changes.”
Many people don’t know what happens to the brain after a concussion. Cliff believes people need more education.
“I think the misnomer here and people get a little scared about, your brain hitting your skull, or is it a brain bleed, it is a brain injury, it’s more of a functional issue where you have an accelerating and slowing down of the brain.
“You have two different tissues in your brain, white and grey matter, they have different densities and weights, so they accelerate and brake at different speeds, which results in the stretching of the nerves in your brain.”
Cliff found it difficult to answer with one piece of advice for anyone suffering a concussion, as he believes plenty should be done to help, but if he had to pick something, it would be to take your time.
“I have seen so many people and sports players shake it off, or don’t acknowledge, and be out for longer.
“I love all sports, and I want to see people playing them for years to come. Athletes need to learn to take themselves out of situations for now, or they’ll be out for longer.”