Concussion Protection Products Hit the Market

SEATTLE -- The natural outgrowth of increased concussion awareness is the desire to prevent injuries from happening in the first place, or at the very least, reduce the forces that cause them.

Experts agree, concussions can only be 100% prevented by sitting on the bench, out of range of rowdy teammates and errant flying objects. Once an athlete straps on protective gear and enters the game, it's usually up to the participating adults - parents, officials, and coaches - and the decisions they've made, as to how much risk youth athletes assume.

Technique, technique, technique

In spite of all the hype surrounding high-tech gear and souped up designs, teaching proper technique, namely, "keeping your head out of the game" is one of the single most important ways to reduce concussions. The Westport PAL youth football league in Connecticut discovered that changing their tackling techniques and limiting contact at practices - something also done in colleges - reduced their concussions by 50% while still allowing them to place second in their league.

Helmets

Confusion abounds as recommendations and rating systems have appeared over the past few months.

Helmets were designed to reduce the number of skull fractures and hematomas, and by all accounts have done a superb job. But when it comes to concussions, helmets do not provide much, if any, protection. They simply are not able to stop the acceleration/deceleration, or rotational activity of the brain after impact.

In Dr. William Meehan's new book, "Kids, Sports, and Concussions" he states, "...there is no convincing data demonstrating the ability of any given, available helmet to decrease an athlete's risk of concussion." At least one helmet manufacturer is under federal investigation relating to marketing claims relating to concussion reduction. The recent development of helmet rating systems and the potential inaccurate impressions that are left with the buying public are described in Buyer Beware.

Of greater importance is the age of the helmet and the number of impacts it has been subjected to. Ideally, a new helmet is preferable to an old one. Proper fit and adjustments prior to each game as well as full-season maintenance are key.

Mouthguards

Intuitively, it may make sense to infer a relationship between a blow to the jaw that translates concussion-inducing forces up to the brain and the ability to stop those forces with a mouthguard. But science isn't there yet. "The effectiveness of mouthguards for preventing or reducing the risk of sustaining a concussion remains controversial. Research continues to be done on the different mouthguards and their properties to answer this question, but there is currently no reproducible evidence supporting the use of any mouthguard to protect against concussion in any sport." -- from the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) Sports Medicine Handbook, Fourth Edition, July 2011.

Soccer headbands

The jury is out. Few studies have been conducted on soccer headgear and those that have been done have significant flaws. Some studies show that headbands reduce the risk of concussion in soccer players, others refute those findings. According to Harvard-trained Dr. Meehan, "Until further medical studies are conducted, no definitive conclusions regarding the use of soccer headbands to reduce the risk of concussion can be reached."

Education

The best way to keep athletes safe is to educate them, their coaches, and their parents. No equipment currently on the market will offer enough protection to stop the injury from occuring. However, the critical issue is how concussions are managed. Remove the athlete from play if a concussion is suspected, and do not allow them to return to activity without written authorization from a trained medical professional. For now, that's the best we can do.

Questions/comments? Contact Jean Rickerson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.