Rodeo health professionals want their brand of medicine recognized, say organizers of the first international rodeo medicine conference.
About 70 rodeo physicians and other health care professionals from across Western North America gathered in Calgary July 7–8, ahead of the city's Stampede, to share ideas on the treatment and prevention of rodeo-related injuries. Organizers hope the event will foster collaborative research to make the most of limited funding.
Attendees developed a consensus on how to manage concussions, which they hope will be adopted by rodeo associations. One of the recommendations concerns not allowing cowboys to ride bulls after suffering a head injury. They would also like to build a force platform to measure real-time data on bull stomping and other causes of injury. This data can be used to design protective gear.
Few studies have been done on the unique injuries suffered during rodeos. These injuries range from sprained ankles to ruptured tendons, as cowboys tangle with animals exerting completely different forces than humans on a playing field.
“A football player might get tackled, but that's not the same as being stomped by a 2000-pound bull,” orthopedic surgeon Dr. Laurie Hiemstra says, from Calgary.
Hiemstra, a professor at the University of Calgary Sport Medicine Centre, was roped into volunteering with the Canadian Pro Rodeo Sports Medicine Team 3 years ago.
“These guys are the toughest athletes I've ever met,” Hiemstra says. “If they come in and complain about something, you can bet they're in agony.”
There are 35 members on the Canadian team, including certified athletic therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors and sports medicine physicians, many with experience in orthopedics. Members of the team attend the 19 largest professional rodeo events.
Team president Dale Butterwick, a senior instructor at the University of Calgary Sport Medicine Centre, led a landmark 5-year analysis of professional rodeo injuries (American Journal of Sports Medicine 2002;3[2]:193-8). The analysis found that the worst events were bull riding (32.2 injuries per 1000 rides) and bareback riding (24.5 injuries per 1000). About 30% of the injuries were serious, including fractures, ruptures, dislocations and concussions.
Concussions accounted for 8.6% of all reported injuries; higher than previously reported. — Dina O'Meara, Calgary