5 Fall Sports Safety Tips for Concussion Prevention

In a few short weeks, teams across the country will kick off the 2010 football season. And this year, preventing concussions is top of mind for athletes and sports officials from the NFL to the high school level with new regulations and educational material aimed to better protect players.

The Brain-Pad experts offer five concussion prevention tips for sports player and parents in preparation for the start of the fall sports season.

1.) Proper exercise and training. Regular neck exercises to strengthen and elongate the muscles can help provide stronger support during impact. A strong neck can keep muscles in place and lessen the impact of jolts to the head that can cause concussions.

2.) Don’t forget the mouth guard. Many think a mouth guard is effective just to protect the teeth. But studies have shown mouth guards can reduce lower jaw impact that causes concussions. A dual arch mouth guard, like Brain-Pad’s line of performance mouth guards, is the best concussion defense for inside your mouth. Unlike traditional mouth guards that offer protection for either the upper or lower teeth only, Brain-Pad is a dual arch or bi-molar mouth guard. It stabilizes the jaw into a neutral position, creating a safety space at the base of the skull that greatly reduces the risk of jaw-impact concussions, TMJ injuries, and injuries caused by hits to the face mask.

3.) Listen to your body. One of the most important things a player can do is recognize the warning signs of a concussion. A common misconception is that unconsciousness must occur if it’s a concussion injury. Symptoms can be as subtle as a headache, fatigue, confusion, dizziness, sensitivity to light, or nausea.

4.) Speak up. If you are a player or a parent and think a concussion injury may have occurred, let the coach or trainer know immediately. It is better to be mistaken than to go days without treatment because of uncertainty.

5.) Know the concussion myths. A concussion does not only occur from hits to the top of the head. A player can also suffer a concussion from lower jaw impact and hits below the chin. That’s another reason why dual arch mouth guards such as Brain-Pad are an important piece of concussion prevention.