By Adam Reid

Any parents of student athletes should pay close attention to this article.  Much as been written of late in the mainstream press regarding risk of concussion in high school and collegiate sports, particularly with regard to females. Many local schools now have adopted the ImPACT test, which consists of baseline and/or post-injury neurocognitive testing.  According to ImPACT, 'Such evaluation can help to objectively evaluate the concussed athlete's post-injury condition and track recovery for safe return to play, thus preventing the cumulative effects of concussion.' It is my hope that use of this testing will grow - as will the preventative measures discussed below.    

Athletes can suffer concussion from either a direct blow to the head, or a blow to the body that forces the head to move violently side to side or front to back (i.e., whiplash).  Since an injury is the result of soft tissues being unable to withstand the forces imposed upon it, it is reasonable to state that a strong neck will lessen the risk of concussion if such an impact occurs. 
 
According to Dr. Mickey Collins, assistant director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Sports Medicine Concussion Program:
 
One of the best ways to prevent concussions is through neck strength. Having a strong neck actually allows the forces of the blow to be taken from the head down through the neck and into the torso.  We really find that athletes with strong necks [can help prevent concussions].(1)
 
According to the Journal of Athletic Training (2), female soccer players are 68% more likely than males to suffer a concussion - while in basketball the risk is almost three times higher.  Most researchers think this is a result of females having weaker necks than males (3).  Besides possessing less strength in the muscles that support the cervical spine, females typically have smaller neck circumference, and smaller heads.   
 
With regard to the neck circumference having an effect, this makes sense.  Consider both a sapling and a 100-year old oak tree.  Then consider the same model car crashing into each of them.  It should be apparent which one will not bend and snap from the force of impact. 
 
When it comes to strengthening the neck, various tools exist from neck harnesses attached to weight-stack/free weights, manual resistance, or variable/direct resistance machines.  Due to the care that must be observed during neck training, a well designed machine capable of isolating the neck musculature is optimal as it will allow the user to train hard without fear of injury.  Because of its design, the MedX 4-Way Neck Machine is unsurpassed in its ability to strengthen the neck (4).  When positioned properly, various restraint mechanisms remove the torso from assisting the weaker neck muscles. Additionally, an adjustable movement arm coupled with a free-pivoting head/face pad allows the user to move comfortably through his or her range of motion without any 'binding' of the pad due to misalignment from the axis of rotation.  Finally, a low-friction and low-inertia weight stack very unique to this machine allow for extremely smooth movement within a very short stroke. 
 
Such equipment can certainly be used post-concussion, once medical clearance has been given, to lessen the risk of additional injury upon return to play.  It is most often used in a preventative manner, to make the structure as strong as possible in order to withstand any forces encountered.  During exercise performance, muscular fatigue may be reached by some, but the majority of users will terminate a set once things become 'hard' due to the perceived delicate nature of the neck.  As a result, many will note better training results from either increased volume or frequency when compared to other body parts (e.g., multiple short sets vs. one longer set; twice weekly vs. once weekly). 

Back2Health is proud to present a Concussion Prevention program, aimed at the student athlete.  This entails one session per week utilizing multi-angle neck exercise on our MedX 4-Way Neck Machine, and upper back exercise via a Nautilus Neck and Shoulder Machine.  The cost is $30/session, $100/4 sessions.  Please help us spread the word about this program to anyone who may benefit from it. 
 
 
1: http://magazine.stack.com/TheIssue/Article/5824/Comprehending_Concussions.aspx
 
2: http://www.nata.org/jat/readers/archives/42.4/i1062-6050-42-4-495.pdf
 
3: 'Gender difference in head-neck segment dynamic stabilization during head acceleration', Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 2005; 37(2):272-279)
 
4: http://arthurjonesexercise.com/Merchandise/Ahead%20by%20a%20Neck.pdf