The Dangers Behind the World’s Largest and Fastest Growing Sport
Until recently, soccer often had a secondary status within the hierarchy of America’s favorite sports and pastimes. Yet the rise of exciting new homegrown talent making a mark around the world and the success of the US Women’s National Team has brought the sport to new heights in the United States, just as it has captivated other nations. As the player base rapidly grows, it is imperative to examine the possible health concerns from the game.
Despite common perception, soccer is not a low-risk sport. Sports-related concussions (SRC) and mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) are areas of interest in the health impacts of soccer due to the danger they pose to athletes and their widespread prevalence in sports such as hockey and American football. Given the physicality of soccer and the frequency of heading, it is imperative to understand the risk of head injury in soccer. A recent review study shined light on concussions in soccer including the rate at which they occur, common ways they occur, as well as how to prevent such injuries.
Although it is a rough estimate, around 4-22% of all soccer injuries are head or neck injuries. The common mechanisms of head injuries are contact between a player’s head and either another player, the ground, the goal frame, or between the ball and the head of an unprepared player. Among these, player-player contact accounts for the majority of head injuries in soccer. Many of these interactions occur when two players engage in a heading duel. Multiple studies have concluded that injuries from aerial heading between two players included concussions roughly 60% of the time.
Despite common perception, soccer is not a low-risk sport. Sports-related concussions (SRC) and mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) are areas of interest in the health impacts of soccer due to the danger they pose to athletes and their widespread prevalence in sports such as hockey and American football. Given the physicality of soccer and the frequency of heading, it is imperative to understand the risk of head injury in soccer. A recent review study shined light on concussions in soccer including the rate at which they occur, common ways they occur, as well as how to prevent such injuries.
Although it is a rough estimate, around 4-22% of all soccer injuries are head or neck injuries. The common mechanisms of head injuries are contact between a player’s head and either another player, the ground, the goal frame, or between the ball and the head of an unprepared player. Among these, player-player contact accounts for the majority of head injuries in soccer. Many of these interactions occur when two players engage in a heading duel. Multiple studies have concluded that injuries from aerial heading between two players included concussions roughly 60% of the time.
One conclusive result has shown that the smaller and less strong neck muscles in female soccer players puts them at a significantly higher risk of sustaining a concussion than male soccer players.
Image Source: Jeffrey F Lin
The most unique aspect of head injuries in soccer compared to other contact sports is the practice of heading. Unlike other sports, the head or forehead plays a dominant role in almost every aspect of play. Researchers have defined heading as repetitive subconcussive trauma, which is defined as trauma below the threshold of a real concussion. Heading, in this way, resembles brain trauma seen in football athletes and boxing stars after long careers. Subsequently, many studies are trying to understand if there is a relationship between heading in soccer over a long period of time and the incidence of CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy. CTE is a relatively new discovery that links repeated blows to the head with brain function degradation, aggression, and dementia seen in retired football players. There are no conclusive findings so far whether soccer is another area of concern.
A large majority of injuries from soccer within the United States impact younger players under 25. With the bulk of these concussions and head injuries affecting the youth population, it is crucial to implement effective injury prevention techniques to prevent any developmental issues. One strategy is stricter rule enforcement that reprimands players for excessive aggression in aerial contests. Other prevention measures include teaching young players early in their soccer career proper heading technique, showing ways to strengthen neck muscles, and most importantly conveying the risk of concussions and head injuries to athletes.
Overall, research into the intricacies and implications of head injuries in soccer must continue until a comprehensive understanding is established. Then, protocol must be firmly established and enforced to ensure that the public can enjoy the beautiful game safely.
A large majority of injuries from soccer within the United States impact younger players under 25. With the bulk of these concussions and head injuries affecting the youth population, it is crucial to implement effective injury prevention techniques to prevent any developmental issues. One strategy is stricter rule enforcement that reprimands players for excessive aggression in aerial contests. Other prevention measures include teaching young players early in their soccer career proper heading technique, showing ways to strengthen neck muscles, and most importantly conveying the risk of concussions and head injuries to athletes.
Overall, research into the intricacies and implications of head injuries in soccer must continue until a comprehensive understanding is established. Then, protocol must be firmly established and enforced to ensure that the public can enjoy the beautiful game safely.
Featured Image Source: Stanley Morales
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