Romanowski: I can help Westbrook
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Romanowski: I can help Westbrook
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Concussions ended Bill Romanowski's career.
Now, the former NFL linebacker says he can help current athletes, including Brian Westbrook.
“I can help Brian Westbrook heal very quickly,” Romanowski told the DailyPhiladephian.com.
Often at the center of controversy during his 16-year career, and since he retired, Romanowski says he has a three-step plan for helping athletes who have suffered concussions:
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
- Chiropractic treatment
- Use of a special vitamin product
“I’ll go up against any doctor on this issue,” he said in the article. “Mark my words, in 20 years every NFL team in every stadium across the country will have a hyperbaric chamber. They will all be doing IV treatments of neuronutrients. And, every single team will have a chiropractor on staff.”
In a memorable interview on 60 Minutes back in 2005, Romanowski estimated he suffered between eight and 20 concussions during his playing days. The last one in 2003 ended his career. He also admitted to using steroids and human growth hormone.
As a player, he said he spent around $200,000 a year on supplements, doctors and therapies. He was taking 100 pills a day and played in 271 straight games.
However, Romanowski often played when he knew he shouldn't have, lying to trainers to get on the field.
“Two weeks before I left the NFL, I left the Raiders parking lot and couldn’t find my way home,” he said. “And here’s as scary as it gets. I remember filling out a document that asked if I was male or female and literally, for a split second, I had to think about that.”
Ex-quarterback Rich Gannon recalled Romanowski's concussions during an interview with the Inquirer's Bob Brookover last week.
"Bill Romanowski used to get them in back-to-back weeks in Oakland," Gannon said. "He'd try playing the next week and he couldn't finish the game."
As for Westbrook, he received encouraging news last week when concussion specialists at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said they expected him to make a full recovery.
Click here to read our earlier post on who's picking the Eagles against the Bears.
Romanowski shouldn't be allowed within 100 yards of Westbrook.— p-diddy
Does Romanowski own a stake in a hyperbaric oxygen therapy clinic? These treatments are expensive, and the medical literature does NOT list concussion as a legitimate use of hyperbaric therapy. It is known to be effective mainly for treating wounds and diabetic ulcers.- Don't know anything about Romanowski's theory, but his track record for thinking about his own body is one of the worst in NFL history.— tacklinjoe
- Hyperbaric chamber,,, what an interesting way to take the pressure off the brain,,, sounds like a winner to me. Somebody call Primeau and Lindros, and let's see some healing.— kidbad
- 36 already has his own hyperbaric chamber, carts it up to lehigh with him. not sure how oxygen therapy would harm a brain.— bigsteve
- Romanowski can only help Westbrook get suspended for violating the NFL substance abuse policy.— youngmc100
- Romanowski on 97.3ESPN in AC on the subject. http://www.opendrive.com/files/5784331_A0hPb/romo1120.mp3— jamesdowntown
Comment removed.- Romo, roids wont do anything to help Westbrook, so no thanks. You can stay out in Oakland or where ever you are staking roots now adays. And besides, if he doesnt listen to you, you may spit on him, and that wouldnt be nice at all.— Pat c
- I've been involved in a lot of Hyperbaric Oxygen work and although we haven't done enough conclusive tests on concussions, we have started a national study www.nbirrfund.org that is the first test of its kind to treat PTSD/TBI- we are focusing on veterans (mainly of blast injuries). A significant percentage of NFL and NHL players do have TBI- many are undiagnosed. Check it out.— lucasa567
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