There are many steps that can be taken to assist in the prevention of concussions. For example, the obvious ones are the helmets athletes wear in sports, the rules of the sports themselves and even the strengthening of the muscles in the neck and shoulder area. Many studies have shown that helmets lead to a reduction in risk of head injury however, they do not prevent concussions entirely. The rules of the sports themselves also reduce a large number of head injuries that are due to dirty and egregious play. Finally, according to the Micheli Center for Sports injury Prevention training the muscles in the neck and shoulder can help the body absorb the shock of a blow to the head.
Specifically in football, new research on protective equipment is an ongoing endeavor. New helmet technologies are always being researched and developed. Researchers at UCLA, for example, are working on new absorption materials that could reduce the impact force by 26 percent. Also, a new helmet called the Vicis Zero1 helmet is designed with an outer layer that gives and bounces back after impact which slows down the collision considerably. The problem with these right now though, is that they are still being developed or are currently much too expensive for the general athlete population to afford.
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