More Research is Being Done into Why Female Soccer Players are More Prone to Concussion

July 15, 2019, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

Researchers have known for a while now that women appear to suffer mild traumatic brain injury more frequently than men and from lower impact forces than men. It is thought the predisposition to concussion (mTBI) may in some part be due to the muscular differences in the neck between men and women. All concussions are a form of brain damage, and repeated concussions cause long term damage to the brain which can result in cognitive, emotional, and neurological changes in the long term.

The Women’s Word Cup of Soccer highlighted the issue of concussion last week when two players went for the ball and two women crashed into each other collapsing onto the ground, both holding their heads. Before the end of the half both were back on the field, although one was taken back off due to the concerns that she had indeed suffered concussion.

Researchers are now focusing on the rates of concussion in female soccer players in an attempt to determine why they have a higher rate of concussion than men. It appears that in some cases the rates of concussion among high school and college age players is three times that of their male counterparts according to Dr. Snedden at the University of Wisconsin Madison. She wil be delving deeper into why these rates are so high thanks to a new grant of $100,000 for research into the long-term effect of head impact in women’s soccer.

Dr. Snedden has said that there may be several reasons for the higher rates:

• Physiological
• Women may be more apt to self-report the concussion symptoms than men
• Who is diagnosing the concussion?
• Cross playing of athletes in other sports that may also be high risk for concussion

While once it was thought that heading the ball posed the greatest risk of brain damage it now appears that it is a secondary issue to collisions in which the players fall backward and or hit another players shoulder or head.

Moving forward Dr. Snedden suggest that more protocols need to be established in non-NCAA level play, that in youth soccer a parent or coach should be watching throughout the game for potential hits to the head and concussion.

Concussion can be a difficult injury to diagnose as in some cases the symptoms are immediately visible and in others, they may take minutes, hours, or even days to present. Wearing headgear has not shown any reduction in rates of concussion in soccer to date.

Concussions (mTBI) are most often caused by car accidents, slip and falls, workplace injuries, sports play, and physical assaults. Any time that you suspect you or someone else has suffered a concussion you should stop play or what you are doing and seek medical care immediately. Concussion can be caused by a blow to the head or the body. Brain injury Canada lists the signs of concussion:

• Amnesia (forgetting things)
• Confusion
• Headache
• Loss of consciousness
• Balance problems or dizziness
• Double or fuzzy vision
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Nausea
• Feeling sluggish, foggy, or groggy
• Feeling unusually irritable
• Concentration or memory problems
• Slowed reaction time

About Deutschmann Law

Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.

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