Injury reduction programs for reducing the incidence of sport-related head and neck injuries including concussion: a systematic review

Review written by Shruti Nambiar info

Key Points

  1. Greater neck strength may be associated with a reduced incidence of sport-related concussion (SRC).
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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Females and younger athletes are at higher risk of sustaining a sport-related concussion (SRC), have longer recovery timelines and lower neck strength (1,2). Lower neck strength or neck dysfunction predisposes athletes with a history of SRC to sustain further SRC (1). Therefore, neck muscle training could be a potential strategy to reduce the risk of sport-related head and neck injuries.

This systematic review aimed to:

  1. Investigate the relationship between neck strength and sport-related head and neck injuries including SRC.
  2. Evaluate whether neck exercise interventions can reduce the incidence of sport-related head and neck injuries, and SRC.

Lower neck strength or neck dysfunction predisposes athletes with a history of sport-related concussion to further sport-related concussion.
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Stronger necks have an influence on the change in head velocity and when stiffened for a probable impact can reduce the risk of concussion.

METHODS

Studies were selected by screening five electronic databases and the reference lists of the included studies. This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines. The paper included studies that met the following criteria:

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