Do hockey helmets prevent concussions?
Do Hockey Helmets Prevent Concussions? Is there such a thing as a concussion helmet? The answer is a resounding NO! Helmets are important and very effective against localized head injuries such as skull fractures but they have limited effectiveness against concussions.
Enforce no hits to the head or other types of dangerous play. Practice safe playing techniques and encourage athletes to follow the rules of play. Make sure players wear approved and properly-fitted protective equipment. Protective equipment should be well-maintained and be worn consistently and correctly.
Study: Many hockey helmets unsafe
More than a quarter of all helmets worn by hockey players, from the NHL to youth leagues, are unsafe, according to an independent study provided to "Outside the Lines" that ranked hockey helmets based on their ability to reduce concussion risk.
Your friend is right: No helmet can prevent concussions. There's no way to keep the brain from moving inside the skull. If you hit your head hard enough, your brain can bang into the hard bone and cause a concussion. Some "special" sports helmets and other new products claim that they can protect you from concussions.
The primary cause of concussion in hockey is player to player contact. The best way to prevent concussions is to limit contact, thereby minimizing the frequency of forces transmitted to the head. Hockey rules have been changed at all levels limiting contact to the head, charging, and checks from behind.
Concussions occur at all skill and age levels in ice hockey, and have been reported to account for 2–14% of all hockey injuries10,11,12,13 and 15–30% of all hockey head injuries10,14.
There is no set number as to how many concussions humans can have before they suffer permanent damage. After all, some athletes experience symptoms for years after just one concussion, while others are seemingly okay after having more than one.
How helmets protect you. absorbs the blow and spreads the impact over the entire helmet. can reduce the risk of a serious brain injury which can last a lifetime. can protect your head from other injuries such as skull fractures, cuts and bruises.
Experts say to replace the helmet after the first impact. So if you take a massive hit with a puck or wall etc, you should replace the helmet.
Hockey helmets should be replaced no later than 10 years from the date of manufacture. Many helmets will need to be replaced sooner, depending upon wear and tear.
Do sports helmets help or hurt?
Originally, helmets were designed to prevent only traumatic brain injuries, but technology is advancing to fill the gap of concussions.
While serious head injury can occur while wearing a helmet, the data very clearly shows the severity of the head injury can be decreased with helmet wear. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, helmets can reduce head and brain injuries by 85 percent.
Mouth guards are effective at reducing risk
Meanwhile, off-the-shelf mouth guards were associated with 69% lower odds of concussion (aOR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.14-0.65). Neither cohort reported dental injuries. The investigators concluded that using mouth guards during play did reduce the chances of concussion.
Football accounted for more than half of all concussions, and it had the highest incidence rate (0.60).
There were 559 physician-diagnosed, regular-season, in-game concussions among NHL team players reported during the seven years of study. The mean number of concussions per year was 80, with an overall game rate of 5.8 concussions per 100 players per season (Table 1).
Hockey hits are, on average, 17% harder than football hits even though hockey players are 20% smaller than football players?
First, Hockey is more dangerous than football because of the injuries. In hockey injuries are common for anyone but also rare. Playing hockey may cause back injuries as the years go on of you playing same with your joints.
Eric Lindros
Philadelphia's infamous number 88 had at least eight concussions — the most notable resulting from a Scott Stevens open-ice hit in the 2000 playoffs — prematurely ending what had the potential to become one of the greatest careers in NHL history.
Risk factors
Falling, especially in young children and older adults. Participating in a high-risk sport, such as football, hockey, soccer, rugby, boxing or other contact sport. Participating in high-risk sports without proper safety equipment and supervision. Being involved in a motor vehicle collision.
Most people with a concussion recover quickly and fully. But for some people, symptoms can last for days, weeks, or longer. In general, recovery may be slower among older adults, young children, and teens.
What happens if you get 5 concussions?
The risks of sustaining multiple concussions are serious. Research has shown that people who have multiple concussions are at an increased risk of long-term impairment, such as forgetfulness, “foggy” thinking, difficulty concentrating, balance issues, difficulty focusing and trouble with eyesight.
CTE has been diagnosed in people who had a history of repeated subconcussive head impacts and did not have any known history of concussion. Researchers believe that the more years a person has repeated subconcussive head impacts or other brain injuries, the higher the chance they have of getting CTE.
Not only were there aesthetic reasons, but players did have some valid performance concerns. Before the mandate in 1979, hockey players were hesitant to use a helmet, even if they believed it would provide them with better protection.
More than half of the NHL's current 672 skaters made their debut after the 2013 mandate, meaning they don't have the option to play without a visor. Most have been conditioned to wear one anyway, rising through the junior and minors ranks, where visors are also mandatory.
If you've been down the road and struck your helmet, there's a good chance it needs replacing. If it's got scrapes or dents then almost certainly, but you can be thankful that it's done its job. Once that structure is compromised it can't perform as well again if you have another off.
DO HOCKEY HELMETS EXPIRE? Yes, certified-safe hockey helmets have an expiration date, as do hockey visors and cages.
It is recommended that you only purchase hockey helmets in Canada to ensure you have a CSA sticker on it. In Canada helmets do not expire. The HECC sticker that may also be present on the helmet has an expiry date that, once passed, will make the helmet illegal for use in the United States but NOT in Canada.
Recycle may be available in some areas, but limited to certain helmet parts only. 'Re-use' is out of the question for expired helmets, and 'Repair' is not something that would be recommended for the majority of aging helmets. Other than that, the only other option is to throw it out with your other household waste.
A helmet must fit snugly, with one finger width above the eyebrow and ample coverage of the temples and ears. A helmet that shifts on the head does not absorb impacts.
How do you tell if a helmet is expired?
A helmet does not have an expiration sticker inside because they don't have a fixed expiration date. There are too many factors that can shorten or lengthen its life. Helmets degrade at different speeds based on such things but not limited to the climate it's used in, amount of use, how well it is maintained.
The biggest misconception about football helmets is that they prevent concussions. They don't. Helmets protect the skull from fractures. Concussions are caused when the brain moves inside the skull; helmets do little if anything to prevent the brain from rattling inside the skull.
Helmets are 37 percent effective in preventing motorcycle deaths and 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries caused by motorcycle accidents.
- Always wear seatbelts in the car and buckle children in safety seats.
- Wear a helmet that fits when biking, riding a motorcycle, skating, skiing, horseback riding, or playing contact sports. ...
- Prevent falls on stairs by putting up handrails.
Basketball. According to 2019 statistics, basketball causes the most injuries compared to any other team sport. Young people and adults who play basketball are exposed to various injuries including fractures, facial injuries, deep thigh bruises, ankle sprains and knee injuries.
Helmets and trauma injury
“Again, this is because of our attitude towards safety. We do not take safety seriously.” Not wearing helmets resulted in deaths of 44,666 (30,148 drivers and 14,518 pillions) or 29.82% of total road accident fatalities during 2019, according to the ministry data.
Helmet use reduces the risk of head injury by 85%, brain injury by 88% and severe brain injury by at least 75%.
Today, mouthguards are commonly used by hockey players of all ages and skill levels. Often they are a required piece of equipment, but when they are not most players still wear one. 90% of National Hockey League (NHL) players, for example, choose to use mouthguards even though the NHL doesn't mandate them.
- Headache or “pressure” in head.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Balance problems or dizziness, or double or blurry vision.
- Bothered by light or noise.
- Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy.
- Confusion, or concentration or memory problems.
- Just not “feeling right,” or “feeling down”.
The primary function of mouthguards is to protect the teeth from being chipped, fractured, or knocked out as a result of a direct blow to the face, something that is fairly common in both hockey and football. Protecting the teeth, in turn, protects the lips and cheeks from lacerations due to chipped or broken teeth.
How do you protect your head in hockey?
Helmets can protect all of us from a serious head injury. Head injuries can happen during many different activities or sports. Whether you are participating in cycling, hockey, skating, in-line skating, skiing or snowboarding, wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of a head injury.
There were 559 physician-diagnosed, regular-season, in-game concussions among NHL team players reported during the seven years of study. The mean number of concussions per year was 80, with an overall game rate of 5.8 concussions per 100 players per season (Table 1).
-- The revised NHL Protocol for Concussion Evaluation and Management goes into effect starting with Wednesday's games. Starting tonight, players suspected of having a concussion will be removed from the game and sent to a quiet place free from distraction so they can be examined by the on-site team physician.
Eric Lindros
Philadelphia's infamous number 88 had at least eight concussions — the most notable resulting from a Scott Stevens open-ice hit in the 2000 playoffs — prematurely ending what had the potential to become one of the greatest careers in NHL history.
Mouth guards are effective at reducing risk
Meanwhile, off-the-shelf mouth guards were associated with 69% lower odds of concussion (aOR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.14-0.65). Neither cohort reported dental injuries. The investigators concluded that using mouth guards during play did reduce the chances of concussion.
Experts say to replace the helmet after the first impact. So if you take a massive hit with a puck or wall etc, you should replace the helmet.
Hockey helmets should be replaced no later than 10 years from the date of manufacture. Many helmets will need to be replaced sooner, depending upon wear and tear.
Football accounted for more than half of all concussions, and it had the highest incidence rate (0.60).
Overall, the data showed that the three sports with the highest concussion rates were: Boys' football, with 10.4 concussions per 10,000 athlete exposures. Girls' soccer, with 8.19 per 10,000 athlete exposures. Boys' ice hockey, with 7.69 per 10,000 athlete exposures.
- AC joint (shoulder)
- ACL strains or tears.
- Broken collarbone.
- Concussions.
- MCL strains or tears.
- Muscle strains.
- Shoulder dislocation.
How long are NHL players out with concussions?
While most hockey players who are treated for a concussion recover within a week or two, some experience symptoms that may take months to resolve. According to the Mayo Clinic,6 post-concussion syndrome occurs when various symptoms last for weeks or even months following the injury.
You should be symptom-free at rest for 5-7 days before starting the following progressive steps. There should be approximately 24 hours in between each step. If any symptoms return at any time during this action plan, stop working out. Rest until you are symptom-free for 24 hours.
Generally, each step should take 24 hours. However, the time frame at each step may vary with Player age, history, etc., and management must be individualized.
