Do a Google search on concussions and you will see thousands of sites that explain how concussions can be treated. Several will tell you a few things that you can do to prevent concussions, but usual just listing one or two things: avoid contact sports and wear a helmet. Very few go into any detail of what steps can truly prevent concussions and almost none tell you what you can do to prevent non-contact sports concussions.
It’s important to address this, because a large number of concussions are due to events other than contact sports. Concussions can be caused by falls, motor vehicle accidents, bike accidents, trampolines, work accidents, horse play and rough housing.
So, the question remains: aside from avoiding those activities and ultimately sitting on the couch doing nothing, are there other things that minimize your risk of concussion?
Of course! But very few people are talking about the things that you can do. That is what I plan on sharing with you in this blog.
Nutrition
With so much talk on inflammation causing many illnesses, we must look at how it could impact concussions. Part of the reason a concussion is so hard to heal from is the inflammatory cascade it starts. If you are already in an inflammatory state, your response to a hit to the head and/or a jarring movement to the head will cause a concussion.
The solution is to eat an anti-inflammatory diet. This is a diet that avoids pro-inflammatory foods such as processed foods, especially grains, sugar, artificial colors and flavors, commercially raised dairy and meats, and foods you may be sensitive to such as gluten and night shade plants. An anti-inflammatory diet promotes food in its natural state, is predominantly plant-based, and includes animal products that were raised in a natural way (such as organic, grass-fed beef and pasture raised chicken and eggs). This diet also includes spices, herbs, roots, and supplements that reduce inflammation such as turmeric, resveratrol, Boswellia, fish oils, and bromelain.
Here are some resources regarding anti-inflammatory diets:
- Anti-Inflammatory Autoimmune Protocol Guide
- Dairy and Inflammation/Autoimmune
- Processed Food and Inflammation/Autoimmune
Neck Strength
Concussions can be caused by a hit to the head, but they are also caused by jarring of the head or by a concussive force, such as an explosion. A whiplash accident usually does not allow the head to hit anything, but the force of the head going forward and then whipping back causes the brain to “bounce” inside the skull, causing a concussion. Strength training in general can strengthen the neck. You can also strengthen the neck with core stability neck exercise.
Here are some neck strengthening resources:
- For the general population: Bob & Brad’s Neck Strengthening Exercises and/or Tone and Tighten Neck Exercises
- Neck exercises for athletes: Neck Exercises for Football
- Advanced partner exercises (needs to be done very carefully and with the right partner): 8 Exercises to Reduce Risk of Concussions
Balance
One of the largest causes of concussions is falls. Having poor balance will make it easier to fall. There are many things that can weaken our balance:
- inactivity
- inflammation
- muscle weakness
- underlying untreated chronic health conditions such as Meneire’s disease
- poor blood pressure control causing orthostatic hypotension,
- certain medication
- cerebellar ataxia
- gluten ataxia
- poor nerve health
The best way to help with these is to take good care of your health through nutrition, exercise, avoiding toxins, etc.
Exercise
While neck exercises directly help minimize risk by strengthening the neck, working out your body will indirectly help by ensuring that you can get up and down without falling. It also helps by allowing for good blood pressure control, avoiding too low of blood pressure (which can cause light headedness). Exercise also reduces inflammation in the body. Most people don’t realize that many forms of exercise stimulate the brain which helps the brain function well, which in turn will help with balance and general brain health.
Be Smart
With falls being one of the leading causes of concussions, avoiding them is huge. As mentioned above, exercise can help reduce falls but so can being careful and planning ahead. Living in Minnesota, the possibility of falling on ice is real. You can avoid this by taking a few different steps. Some people opt for mall walking or treadmill walking when the cold hits. If you still want to get outside, you can take precautions such as wearing footwear that has cleats or add spikes or Yak Trax or simply avoiding walking outside when it recently melted and then froze again, saving your outdoor adventures for a day when ice is less likely.
When riding a bicycle, wearing a helmet can be very helpful. A few summers ago, I had finished a nice long ride with friends and was practically home. As I rode into my neighborhood, I was coasting to a stop while standing up and had both hands on my brakes. I took my hand off my back break and ended up flying over my handlebars. I hit my head and face on the pavement. Luckily, I had a helmet on!
Rough housing, horse play, trampolines, etc. Are always going to be a prat of boys, young men and even older men lives. Avoiding them altogether is highly unlikely but you can help by doing the things mentioned above. You can also teach them what activities can lead to head injuries. Of course we have all heard the cliché that you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
Neck Flexibility
While having a strong neck is important, so is the ability for your neck to move. If your head needs to quickly move, but it does not move well, the force can cause a lot more damage than if you have good neck flexibility. Having good core strength in your neck will help you to not have as tight of a neck. Using your neck and taking it through its full range of motion is also super helpful.
Too many people today have computer jobs, play video games, look at their phone, and use their laptops a large part of the day and they are developing a thing called text neck. This is where the muscles at the front of the neck shorten due to being in that position all day and the muscles at the base of the skull tighten up due to being stretched all day. Doing daily stretching exercises of your neck can be super helpful.
You can try Bob & Brad’s Best Neck Pain Stretches.
Moving Forward
The old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is so true. Applying these things in your lives will not be a guarantee that you won’t develop a concussion but it does improve your odds. If you do end up having a concussion, there are also many things that can be done to speed up recovery beyond just sitting in a dark room and avoiding technology.
Dr. Kassie Kaas in our office is highly trained to help people suffering from concussions heal quickly.
While avoiding impact sports and dangerous activities will help avoid concussions, it is not realistic or even healthy to live in fear of doing things due to the possibility of developing a concussion, but doing the things above will help plus they are helpful for other health issues as well.
