There are some basic steps that you can take to prevent a concussion while participating in sports. Following the rules of the sport is one of the best ways to prevent injuries in general as is practicing good sportsmanship at all times.

Remember that you can still get a concussion if you are wearing a helmet. Do NOT initiate contact with your head or helmet. This has become more problematic as technology has advanced and made the helmets more comfortable in general. They handle impact now better than they did a few years ago, but that also means that some players tend to use the helmet as a weapon because it doesn’t seem to hurt them very much. Leading with the head for a tackle can increase the incidence of concussion not just for the tackler, but also the ball carrier.

It is also a good idea to practice good sportsmanship by avoiding hitting an opponent in the head. Undercutting, flying elbows, stepping on a head, checking an unprotected opponent, and sticks to the head all cause concussions.

Another thing is to practice and perfect the skills of your sport. Doing this will obviously help in general during game time but becoming better at your sport leads to fewer injuries as well. There are not a lot of concussions in Pee-Wee football because they are just not big enough and can’t move fast enough to cause injury. That whole “Force = Mass x Acceleration” thing. On the other hand, collegiate and professional football players are obviously large enough to cause injury and concussions do occur at that level of play, but more concussions happen during sports in high school compared to other levels of sport. The reason is that the athletes are typically large enough to cause injury, but the skill level is not as high. At the professional level, the incidence is less despite the fact that the players are huge because they have the skill to avoid injuring themselves and other players. They do a better at tackling properly on the whole and most are athletic enough to avoid hitting the other player in the head.

If you think you’d had a concussion and need to get checked out or if you have Post-Concussion Syndrome and you would like to start the healing process, call 419-517-5055 to make an appointment with Dr. Royer.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT DR. ROYER

Dr. Bryan D. Royer has been practicing chiropractic medicine in the Toledo area since 2005. He graduated summa cum laude as the class salutatorian from the National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) in 2004. Dr. Royer’s earned a Bachelor of Science with a major in biology from the University of Dayton in 1999 and another Bachelor of Science with a major in human biology in 2002 from NUHS. He is a Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist practicing in the Toledo area and is also a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician^® (CCSP^®). Dr. Royer is the only healthcare provider in the Toledo Area to be certified in Graston Technique^® and he is also a Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner^™ (CKTP^™). He is a member of the American Chiropractic Association, the Ohio State Chiropractic Association, the Northwest Ohio Chiropractic Association, the International Association of Functional Neurology and Rehabilitation, the ACA Council on Neurology, the American Academy of Spine Physicians and the Kinesio Taping Association.

For more information on concussion in sports, the treatment of concussion and when you should go to the ER due to a concussion, click on the applicable hyperlink.

Call 419-517-5055 to make an appointment for evaluation of a concussion, or related conditions like a head or neck injury.