HEAD INJURIES PLAYING SOCCER
Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
A very disturbing study from the Netherlands shows that soccer players have lower scores in tests
measuring intelligence than middle-distance runners and swimmers. The authors feel that head injuries
may be the cause.
27 percent of soccer players have had a documented concussion with passing out and 22 percent had
had between 2 and 5 concussions. The amount of drop in mental skills was associated with the number
of concussions.
When you hit the ball with your head, you can expect brain damage. Your brain bounces around in its
sack of fluid, hitting one side of your skull and then the other, causing bruising and bleeding.
Woodpeckers don't suffer concussions when they bang their heads because their brains don't bounce
around. Wearing a helmet protects your brain only if it prevents your head from moving inside the
helmet when it is hit. Helmets are supposed to fit your head the same way that a woodpecker's skull hold
its brain solidly in place. Soccer players should wear helmets that fit snugly, with a liner that fits tightly
around your head and a chin strap. If you can move the helmet when you hold your head still, it doesn't
fit.
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