Protective Sports Equipment may Not be So Effective in Reducing the Incidence of Concussions

Protective sports equipment that are widely employed today may not be so effective in reducing the incidence of concussions among players,

Protective sports equipment that are widely employed today may not be so effective in reducing the incidence of concussions among players, a recent updated consensus on the use of protective sports equipment has said.

According to Paul McCrory, MD, of the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in Heidelberg, Australia, presently there is no clinical proof that the available protective equipment will help prevent a concussion.

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It is very important for the physician or other healthcare professional to perform an evaluation that includes assessment of cognitive function- like loss of consciousness, irritation, headache etc.

If healthcare professionals do find the presence of a concussion, the player must not be permitted to play that day and should not be left alone as symptoms may become worse in the hours following injury

"The current supplement is the result of more than 10 years of continuous scientific collaboration of the involved partners, which has raised awareness in the international sports federations, stimulated research output, and outlined the possible ways where research should be guided in the future to be able to present scientifically proven and sound guidelines for return to play after sustained concussion," Mark Aubry, MD, of the International Ice Hockey Federation in Zurich said.

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They also found that the use of protective equipment like helmets have not reduced the rates of concussion, but have reduced the intensity of the injury to the brain.

Further, the fact that protective equipment is on can cause players to adopt dangerous playing techniques which can ironically increase the chances of injury.