Study: “Heading” in soccer may lead to brain injuries

The brain is one of the most fragile and vital organs in the human body. When the brain is defective or suffers a serious injury, consequences can be detrimental and in many cases, irreversible. With over 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries a year in America, many New Haven residents have gone great lengths to protect their brains. Whether it is wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle or avoiding dangerous situations, there are many ways to help prevent or reduce a chance of suffering a brain injury.

Many brain injuries are suffered by accident. Some are caused by the negligence of another such as a car accident or medical malpractice disaster while others are sports related. Within the past few years there have been a number of lawsuits against major sports organizations including the National Football League for brain injuries. Recently a study concluded that “heading” a ball in the game of soccer may lead to brain injuries.

Heading the ball is a very important technique in the game of soccer. In several cases, using one’s “head” in the game can lead to victory but after repeated usage, the seemingly innocuous move may cause long-term detrimental effects. Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have found that the more often a soccer player headed the ball, the more likely they were to suffer permanent brain injury. Most of the damage is caused outside the games during practice when many players will hit a ball with their head up to 30 times or more. The study concluded that people should pay attention to the risk associated with heading in soccer.

While many sports related brain injuries can be avoided, many others cannot, including those suffered from car accidents. Between drunk and inattentive drivers, several victims will suffer serious brain injuries from the negligence of another. For those individuals impacted, compensation may be awarded for damages.

Source: Fox News, “Repetitive soccer ball ‘heading’ could lead to brain injury,” Loren Grush, June 11, 2013