The Influence of Cervical Muscle Characteristics on Head Impact Biomechanics in Football

Abstract

The study findings showed that greater cervical stiffness and less angular displacement after perturbation reduced the odds of sustaining higher magnitude head impacts; however, the findings did not show that players with stronger and larger neck muscles mitigate head impact severity.

Concussion-Prevention Strategies Used in National Collegiate Athletic Association Divisions I and II Women's Soccer

“…19 However, the influence of cervical strengthening on concussion rates remains inconclusive and could be sport dependent. Previous researchers 13,20 observed that neck strength was not associated with concussion rates in contact sports. However, authors 15,16,[21][22][23] have offered emerging evidence supporting the use of cervical strengthening in female soccer players for preventing concussion.…”

“…Football players with greater cervical stiffness and less angular displacement after an applied perturbation demonstrated decreased chances of sustaining elevated-magnitude head impacts. 13 Imbalances in neck-flexor and neck-extensor strength ratios in collegiate soccer athletes have been correlated with greater angular acceleration during headers. 14 In addition, neck strength was negatively correlated with header acceleration in high school female soccer athletes.…”

“…15 Less overall neck strength has been significantly correlated with concussion rates in basketball, lacrosse, and soccer. 16 Accordingly, researchers 6,13,16 have indicated that neck-strengthening exercises might be a preventive tool and emphasized the need for further, more definitive research. Neck-strengthening exercises at the team level are commonly implemented in football and other collision-sport training protocols.…”

Cognitive Disorders Among Incoming College Football Athletes: Legal and Medical Implications of Undisclosed Inclusion in Concussion Research

“…62 and Ross, 63 both of whom excluded LD/ADHD athletes, and theses by Ocwieja 64 and Schmidt, 65 neither of whom excluded or discussed the No discussion of LD/ADHD prevalence of LD/ADHD among the university's football athletes (corresponding published articles are also included in Table 5). 66,67,68,69 Other articles authored by UNC researchers, which did not stem from graduate theses, relied on football athletes at the university during the 2004-2012 period yet failed to disclose the prevalence of LD/ADHD and medication confounding factors. Using UNC football player data over 2004-2006, Guskiewicz et al 70 reported on the relationship between instrumentally measured head accelerations and acute clinical symptoms and neuropsychological tests after concussions.…”

Sport-related concussions in adolescent athletes: a critical public health problem for which prevention remains an elusive goal

“…Transl Pediatr 2017;6(3):114-120 tp.amegroups.com mechanism to reduce the severity of impact to the brain from direct impact to the head (30)(31)(32)(33). It is thought that when the athlete can anticipate a collision, he or she can activate neck muscles and tense contracted neck muscle will fix and stabilize the head and neck (33).…”