An Important Heads Up Before the Season

With all the recent attention that has been paid to head injuries in the NFL recently, it's inevitable that the spotlight will eventually be shone down upon soccer and other injury-prone sports. And for good reason. Although the benefits of athletic competition are easily apparent (teamwork, dedication, hard work, etc), all too often the physical and sometimes life-threatening risks can be overlooked, denied, or simply ignored. Many barriers towards stronger safety measures exist in soccer, most commonly the assumption that soccer isn't a dangerous sport or that heading the ball is simply fundamental to the game. Former players who naively hold to the belief that if they themselves played the game for years free from head trauma then it can't possibly be a serious issue. For instance, observe the blase' attitude this site takes with head injuries.

However, this couldn't be further from truth. Recent studies have shown that the percentage of injuries in soccer that are head related account for about 2-4% of all injuries. And although a seemingly small number, this percentage is very comparable to American football. The main concern here is TBI or Traumatic Brain Injury, which is defined as an external force causing traumatic injury to the brain. TBI can also be categorized as mild, medium, or severe and can cause a host of physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral effects with outcomes ranging from complete recovery to permanent disability or death. Common physical symptoms may include headaches, loss of consciousness, nausea, dizziness, and blurred vision among others.

So what is the cause of head injuries in soccer? Heading the ball obviously, right? Well, not so fast. According to one recent report, a majority of head injuries are caused by head collisions either with other players or simply the ground. Heading the ball was found to be relatively safe perhaps because of players awareness of the action and therefore being able to brace for the anticipated contact, and also because of the softer impact of the soccer ball itself. So, if you were looking to eliminate head injuries from the sport then maybe the correct policy is to not discourage heading the ball, but to more aggressively regulate player collisions and contact. What do you think?

One thing is for sure - the MLS needs take stronger actions in regards to player safety and head related injuries. Currently the MLS has no official policy or procedure dealing with head traumas, which is becoming more and more inexcusable. Although the MLS has made a recent announcement that it would be cracking down on reckless and dangerous player contact, it seems after observing the first couple weeks of the 2010 season, that nothing has really changed. There's still plenty of head-hunting out on the pitch. It seems inevitable that the MLS will be pressured to adopt a more pro-active policy towards head injuries, especially when looking at the NFL, who has already made some key rule changes. For instance, if an NFL player sustains a head injury the player cannot return to action until he is monitored and cleared by an independent neurologist.

In some places precautionary measures for head injuries have already become law. As of July 26th 2009, all Washington State youth soccer clubs and associations must now follow steps and procedures outlined by House Bill 1824 in regards to player head injuries. House Bill 1824 requires that A) a consent form is signed by parents and players informing them of the dangers of head-related traumas B) all coaches must be educated on the related issues and problems and C) players sustaining any head injury must be removed from the game and cannot return to the field until they receive a written clearance from a health care professional.

It should be interesting to see what changes will happen in the next decade in terms of sports related safety and injuries. With all the recent media attention and new research being done, it seems that we can expect even tighter regulations and precautionary measures being put into place in not only our youth sports but all across the board on all levels of athletic competition. I strongly believe that this issue needs some serious thought and consideration. As long as the integrity and the spirit of competition is not impaired, this cannot possibly be a bad thing, right?

Lastly, here's an article sent to us by Care Meridan, a rehabilitation/nursing center that specializes in care of patients with sustained head traumas or injuries. Its a good article from a credible source.

TBI And Soccer

Soccer (football) and American football are fast paced games that require a great deal of speed and athleticism from its participants. Due to the physical nature of the game, injuries are common on the field. One injury that can cause great distress to a player is a traumatic brain injury, also known as a TBI. A TBI occurs when the head, brain or skull experiences force or trauma. TBI affects the function of the brain and can also change the personality and mental capabilities of an individual. The condition may also require decade's worth of rehabilitation from special care facilities. Even then, there are no guarantees that an individual will fully recover.

American football is one of the toughest and most physically tasking games played. A football players head risks contact with the ground, or another players head, hand, shoulder, arm, or leg with just about every block or tackle that takes place. That is just a result of how the game is played. Due to the number of injuries that were being sustained, football took a precautionary measure and instituted a rule that requires all players to wear protective helmets to prevent head injuries. They also implemented rules on how a player can be tackled or blocked to further prohibit blows to the head. There is also no advantage that a player gains from using their head to block or tackle a player, thus discouraging them from purposefully using it to make contact. Unfortunately, even with the rules in place, accidents do happen and head injuries are still a problem. However, the NFL has at least made an attempt to protect players and players are fully aware of the risk of injury. Soccer, on the other hand, has no such rules in place and risk of injury is a lot less apparent.

Arguably the most popular sport in the world, soccer is also one of the most dangerous due to the risk of TBI. Soccer is supposed to require finesse, design and patience and a lot less of the physical punishment that people have come to expect in football. However, concussions make up 2-3% of all injuries in soccer. This number doesn’t seem significant but it happens to be the same rate as football. The obvious explanation for the concussion rate is that soccer requires the use of a players head in order to control or redirect the ball. Using your head is actually encouraged because doing so can give you an advantage over another player. Therefore, concussions almost become a requirement of the job. In fact, injuries to the head or neck account for between 4% and 22% of all injuries in soccer. A study taken of Division I soccer players in Norway showed that 35% of 69% players had abnormal EEG patterns, which was twice the number of control subjects.

Injuries occur in every sport, but heading the ball in a soccer game is not generally thought of as physical punishment and serious injury is not generally associated with the sport. Since using your head in soccer is thought of as “part of the game”, most players don’t consider it to be a risk factor and the consequences of doing so are rarely considered. The lack of precaution that a soccer player takes to protect their head puts them at high risk of suffering a TBI. The inability of a soccer player to notice the symptoms of a TBI and their failure to seek immediate treatment causes the injury to be much more serious. If players are educated about TBI’s and what can be done to prevent them we can reduce the incidence of this injury exponentially. While the intent is not for soccer to end by increasing awareness about TBI, at the very least, a soccer player may pay more attention to heading the ball properly and will have a better idea of when they might be suffering a TBI and seek immediate treatment.