According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, 1.7 million people suffer from traumatic brain injuries each year. Amongst that number, 10% comes from sports and recreational activities. With the weather warming up, you may be eager to partake in your favorite recreational activities. However, you should consider the most common sports that lead to brain injuries.
Cycling
Cycling is the most dangerous sport resulting in over 85,000 sports injuries a year. Although football seems like it would be the most dangerous, there are fewer football players than there are cyclists. It’s also more common for cyclists to have more severe injuries if they aren’t wearing proper safety equipment.
Football
Behind cycling comes football, with over 47,000 brain injuries a year. Due to repeated blows to the head, football players are most likely to develop chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also known as CTE. Football players need to wear equipment properly and follow tackle and striking guidelines as it can result in a mild to severe brain injury.
Baseball
Concussions are the highest amongst catchers and pitchers are they are more likely to be struck by the pitch or a foul ball. Although there are rules that prevent collisions between catchers and batters, accidents do happen.
Basketball
In basketball, concussions are most common but not limited to head-to-elbow collisions while trying to rebound a ball. However, slip and falls, head-to-head, and head-to-shoulder collisions frequently happen too. Basketball players must follow concussion protocol, even with the mildest injuries. After five days, the player can expect to make a return to the sport, but with caution.
Water Sports
There are multiple ways a swimmer can sustain a brain injury. From diving into shallow ends to hitting their head on a wall, it is very common for a swimmer to obtain a concussion. Being aware of your surroundings and wearing proper protective gear can help reduce your risk of a mild to severe brain injury. Nothing is worse than having to take away time from something you love due to something that could have been prevented.
When playing sports, you take on some assumption of risk. Although you cannot predict an injury, you can take specific measures to prevent it from happening. But, injuries do happen and knowing that you can be compensated for your recovery treatments can help ease your thoughts.
With more than 80 years of combined experience, the Michles & Booth team can assist you with recovering your medical expenses. If you or a loved one has sustained mild to severe injuries from a recreational activity or sport, give our attorneys a call today. We’re able to analyze your injuries and assess what options you have to achieve the best outcome for your health.
Give us a call today at (800) 848-6168 or visit our website today to schedule a consultation.
FAQs
This repeat injury causes vascular congestion and increased intracranial pressure, which may be difficult or impossible to control. The risk for SIS is higher for sports such as boxing, football, ice or roller hockey, soccer, baseball, basketball and snow skiing.
What sports cause the most brain injuries? ›
5 Sports That Cause The Highest Number of Brain Injuries
- Cycling. Cycling is the most dangerous sport resulting in over 85,000 sports injuries a year. ...
- Football. Behind cycling comes football, with over 47,000 brain injuries a year. ...
- Baseball. ...
- Basketball. ...
- Water Sports.
Concussions occur in all sports with the highest incidence in American football, ice hockey, rugby, soccer, and basketball. In addition to concussions caused by a single severe impact, multiple minor impacts may also cause brain injury.
What sport has the most injuries top 10? ›
Sports with the most injuries
- Basketball. What sport has the highest injury rate? ...
- Football. In the South we take our football very seriously. ...
- Soccer. Soccer is a sport that is loved by children and adults alike. ...
- Rugby. ...
- Hockey.
Contact sports such as American football, rugby, soccer, boxing, basketball and hockey are associated with a relatively high prevalence of concussion.
What are the top 3 most injury sports? ›
Sports like American football, rugby, and ice hockey typically have the highest injury rates due to their physical nature and frequent contact.
What sport has the highest injury rate? ›
Sports with the highest injury rates
- Basketball leads the list with 533,509:
- Bicycling – 521,578 injuries:
- Football – 420,581 injuries:
- General exercise – 365,797 injuries:
- Soccer – 229,088 injuries:
Conclusion: Although the collision sports of football and boys' lacrosse had the highest number of concussions and football the highest concussion rate, concussion occurred in all other sports and was observed in girls' sports at rates similar to or higher than those of boys' sports.
What youth sports have the most head injuries? ›
Boys' football, with 10.4 head injuries. Boys' ice hockey, with 7.69 concussions.
What sport has the highest rate of concussions? ›
Adult athletes (18 years and older)
- Men's rugby match play (3.00/1,000 AE)
- Men's American football (2.5/1,000 AE)
- Women's ice hockey (2.27/1,000 AE)
- Men's Ice hockey (1.63/1,000 AE)
- Women's soccer (1.48/1,000 AE)
- Men's football (or soccer) (1.07/1,000 AE)
What is the safest sport to play? The safest sport to play can vary, but generally, non-contact activities like swimming, golf, or table tennis are considered safer due to their lower risk of injury.
What is the most unhealthy sport? ›
"Obviously high-energy contact sports such as rugby and football (soccer) have the highest risk of injury," he says. "This is because of the huge strains put through the body, not just in contact situations when we see dislocations and bone breakages, but when repeatedly cutting and changing direction at full speed.
Is basketball safer than football? ›
Basketball has the most injuries overall, but the number of injuries varies with each age group. Football is the most dangerous sport for children ages 5 to 14, while basketball has the highest number of injuries among people ages 15 to 24.
What are sports related brain injuries? ›
The most common TBIs in sports are cerebral contusions, second-impact syndrome concussions, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and hematomas.
What to do after hitting your head? ›
Summary. Always seek medical attention for a head injury. There is no specific treatment for mild head injury other than plenty of rest and not overdoing things. It can take some time for the brain to recover from a head injury and during this time, headaches, dizziness and mild cognitive (thought) problems are common.
What is punch drunk syndrome? ›
Punch-drunk syndrome (PDS) refers to a pathological condition in which higher brain dysfunction occurs in a delayed fashion in boxers who have suffered repeated blows to the head. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown.
What sport uses the most brain? ›
SPORTS TO STIMULATE YOUR BRAIN
- Table Tennis. Most of us probably doesn't know that table tennis is the world's best brain sport. ...
- Chess. Chess is a good workout for our brain because it's a part of a strategic board game. ...
- Basketball. As a team sport, basketball brings lots of benefits to our brains. ...
- Martial Arts. ...
- Golf.
Three-quarters of those with CTE played American football. The rest participated in ice hockey, soccer, wrestling, or rugby. The football players with CTE tended to have had longer playing careers than those without the disease.
What is the number one cause of brain injury? ›
People most commonly get TBIs from a fall, firearm-related injury, motor vehicle crash, or an assault. Research shows that: Falls lead to nearly half of the TBI-related hospitalizations. Firearm-related suicide is the most common cause of TBI-related deaths in the United States.
What sport has the most head and neck injuries? ›
Football had the highest prevalence of concussion-related neck injuries, representing 23.6% of all neck injuries among sport-concussed youth in this community-based sample.
