Study considers whether using helmets less would reduce concussions
Researcher says athletes may learn to protect heads
Researcher says athletes may learn to protect heads
Researcher says athletes may learn to protect heads
As concerns grow about the potential long-term effects of concussions, a new study is looking at whether reducing helmet use could help prevent such injuries in football.
Laurel Breen, a junior at Pinkerton Academy who plays soccer, said she has had three concussions in her life -- the first when she was 7.
"I remember waking up and throwing up, and then I remember waking up at my bed at home with my mom," she said.
While concussions aren't limited to football, experts said football leads the way in frequency. A study underway at the University of New Hampshire is considering whether reducing helmet use could help.
"Retrain them from the basic foundations of tackling, blocking, making contact with other players -- without a helmet on," professor Erik Swartz said.
Swartz said that the counterintuitive idea came from his days as a rugby player.
"My head was exposed, and I just naturally want to keep my head out of contact," he said. "So I wanted to bring that into the sport of football to see if that was a way to correct head-first contact in the sport."
Participants in the study are divided into groups, with a control group wearing helmets with sensor that measure force, acceleration, location and frequency of impacts. Another group also has sensors attached, but they practice tackling drills without helmets.
"It's a discrete, prescribed drill that the treatment group participates in, but only for the amount of time it takes to complete that drill," Swartz said.
The research is in its early stages. Swartz said long-term studies with a wide age range are needed, meaning that years of research must be done before any conclusions can be drawn.
The pilot study is being done with youth football players.
Some New Hampshire schools are changing their policies in an effort to protect their student-athletes from concussions. At least 10 schools are taking part in a grant program called "Chalk Talk."
Concussion specialist Gina Brown is leading the Chalk Talk program at Pinkerton. She said that it makes a difference for students who suffer a concussion.
"Otherwise, they would be sitting home all the time, feeling not so great and sitting around the house and not moving forward with their academics," she said.
The program keeps students in class, with limits.
"So every day, we come in and we fill out how we feel, how our symptoms are between yesterday and today," Breen said. "It's just to get a better idea of how we're feeling and how we can go about attacking that day."
Breen was named Miss Londonderry's Outstanding Teen. Her platform this year is raising awareness about concussions.
Brown said that every concussion is different, and experts said that sports are important. The challenge is finding the right balance with brain safety.
"I would emphasize that their child should be competing in some kind of sport," Swartz said. "They should be physically active, and there are benefits to sport."