About 1 in 10 U.S. high school athletes will sustain a concussion during the fall sports season alone, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Concussion Program estimates. Head and neck injuries in professional, amateur and youth sports are a serious matter, and can lead to lifelong complications. Suspected head and neck injuries must be treated by a physician.
Dangerous Sports
According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, head and neck injuries can occur in a wide variety of sports. Football, ice hockey, soccer, basketball, rugby, gymnastics, pole vaulting and diving are the sports most commonly associated with catastrophic injuries.
Concussions
The American Academy of Family Physicians estimates that there are more than 300,000 sports-related concussions in the U.S. each year. Common in sports, concussions are characterized by immediate impairment of neurological functions caused by brain-stem involvement. Symptoms include changes in consciousness, visual disturbances and difficulty balancing. Other symptoms may include fatigue, headache, attention deficit, nausea, vomiting, irritability, sleep disturbance, anxiety and amnesia. According to doctors at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, an athlete with a suspected concussion should never return to a game. This holds true regardless of how mild the injury appears to be. Athletes should not return to a game or practice until all symptoms are gone and are not present during physical exertion. Suspected concussions should always be evaluated by a physician.
Other Head Injuries
Contusions, hemorrhages, hematomas and skull fractures can also occur as a result of a sports-related head injury. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, athletes who lose consciousness, have seizures, persistent vomiting or a suspected skull fracture should be transported to a hospital emergency room immediately. Injuries to the head and brain can lead to permanent damage.
Neck Injuries
Sports-related neck injuries can include fractures, spinal-cord injuries, disk herniation, dislocation and brachial plexus injuries, the American College of Emergency Physicians explains. Severe neck injuries can result in paralysis. Players, coaches, trainers and other staff need to be aware of the potential consequences of poor management of a neck injury. Athletes should be evaluated for neck pain and pain in their extremities; those with injuries resulting in a loss of consciousness should be evaluated particularly carefully. The neck should be immobilized until a proper evaluation can take place at a hospital.
Prevention
To prevent head and neck injuries in sports, athletes should always wear the proper equipment. Proper equipment will help to minimize the chances of sustaining an injury. Additionally, athletes should never keep their head down while moving around the playing field. Playing with your head down leaves you in a vulnerable position, which can lead to head injuries, paralysis or a spinal-cord injury. Coaches and trainers can also implement strengthening exercises. Using a neck-raise machine can help strengthen the neck and its surrounding muscles. Shoulder raises and military presses can also help.
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