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The American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement (1988) defined soccer as a:
- " contact/collision " sport -
and thus added it to the already contact classified sports of tackle football and hockey.
This "upgrade" was no surprise to those familiar with hospital emergency room statistics
that reveal soccer's:
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- high concussion rate -
per 1000 athlete exposures –
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A rate that equals football statistics (Tysvaer, Storli, & Bachen, 1989).
A child's brain reaches 90 percent of its adult size by the age of three (Trevarthen, 1983),
and reaches its full adult size at the age of six (Kessen, Haith, & Salapatek, 1970).
A child's head is thus disproportionately heavy and large when contrasted with a child's total body weight.
Causes of head injuries in soccer include:
Collisions with goal posts - head butting between two or more players -
Blows to the head from:
- illegal high kicking - low heading - elbows - knees, and other body parts -
and last but not least, the game strategy of:
heading the ball.
http://www.kidsfirstsoccer.com/safety.htm
" Should future data establish beyond reasonable doubt that heading in youth soccer is safe,
still protection from head contact with goal posts, contact with ground,
and contact with other players' heads, elbows, knees, etc...
. . . is enough reason to require head protection gear and/or the wearing of
a mouth guard while playing this otherwise great game.".
BRAIN-PAD has addressed both of these impact concerns for soccer:
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Designed for jaw contact in lesser impact
field and court sports.
Not recommnded for Hard-Hitting sports
or competition where the head/jaw is a target
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Newly discovered inner material is both stretchable and
impact absorbent. The answer to parents'
' repetitive Heading concerns '
Tested & Proven to reduce impacts !
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Thirty-seven former soccer players of the National Football Team of Norway were individually examined
with an extensive battery of psychologic tests:
The neuropsychologic examination demonstrated mild to severe deficits regarding attention,
concentration, memory, and judgment
in 81% of the players !
This may indicate some degree of permanent organic brain damage, probably the cumulative
result of:
repeated traumas from heading the ball.
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Head Injuries occur at an alarming rate in soccer. According to Bill Whitney, Olympic Development Soccer Coach, the primary reasons for injury are:
1) getting hit in the jaw by the ball 2) aggressive contact from opponents,
3) heading the ball practice after practice, game after game, year after year.
The amount of force calculated the moment a soccer ball hits the head of a player is 208 joules. Since the jaw is not attached to the skull, and knowing that every force produces equal and opposite directional components of force, the impact causes the lower jaw to slam against the base of the skull. These forces account for a large percentage of the damage found in the jaw joints of soccer players.
The BRAIN-PAD "CLENCHER!" LoPro FEMALE, or LoPro+ is the perfect fit for soccer !
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Soccer Head Injuries - Problems and Protection
by Bill Whitney, Olympic Development Soccer Coach, 1996 NSCAA Coach of the Year
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No, this is not just another article about heading, but a much broader issue. Heading does cause significant impact to the head and
the resulting effects on mental capacities requires continuing study. Studies1 to date however, have focused on brain
damage from heading, but have overlooked two other significant issues: head injury from other types of impact, and other types of
neurological damage suffered.
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Dr. Edward D. Williams, noted Philadelphia dentist specializing in sports dentistry has identified these injuries as Athlete’s Jaw
Disorder2 or those that affect the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) and surrounding delicate structures in the head. This is perhaps the
most misunderstood and unreported injury in soccer, and occurs with an alarming frequency3. Many players are suffering unknowingly
many of the symptoms of Jaw Joint Injury. |
Head injury is of utmost importance in soccer as it should be in all sports and in all our everyday activities. Many individuals can
suffer what is known as TMJ syndrome as a result of different causes, including any type of impact, grinding of teeth, and stress
among others. |
"TMJ is one of the health hazards uniquely associated with contact sports such as hockey, football, soccer and boxing, the most frequent cause being a blow to the head, chin or jaw"7. It is common for soccer players to be hit in the head, both when heading the
ball, and when getting struck by a kicked ball. Ever see a player get stunned from getting hit in the face by the ball? What really
happens? |
 Figure 1
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| Figure 1 shows a diagram of the jaw joint and its normal position with the ball of the joint (condyle) in the socket (glenoid fossa) separated only by a disc, which is made up of cartilage. The condyle is very close to the socket and on impact, is driven back into these bones and the bones of the ear canal, causing damage at an alarming rate. Why isn’t this problem diagnosed more often? For one thing, the only way to tell if the bone is broken is to get an x-ray. Doctors may not have diagnosed this injury frequently because the ability to get a good x-ray of this joint area requires a technique that is not widely available. There has also been a misperception in this country that the joint of the head is not important, as evidenced by the anthropomorphic test device commonly known as the crash test dummy. When you look at picture 1 you will see there’s no jaw joint. |
 Picture 1 |
| When a player heads the ball there is a force of 208 joules8 at the moment of impact. This is greater than the force from any other ball except a golf ball and is great enough to break the long bone of the leg. This can cause the lower jaw, which is not rigidly attached to the skull, to snap back into the jaw joint as a recoil mechanism from the heading action and cause damage. But broken bones are not the only damage that can affect the player
Behind the ear canal in the skull are the semicircular canals which control balance and equilibrium. Injury to this delicate area explains why table 1 lists impaired sense of balance as a symptom. The socket of the jaw joint, called the glenoid fossa, is one of the thinnest bones of the body. Studies9 have shown that this bone is damaged in many athletes, including a reshaping or punched up effect, that could occur when an athlete is younger and the bones are not as hard and repeated impacts reshape them easily. With age the bones calcify and harden into this new shape. This reshaping causes the glenoid fossa to move upward and into what lies immediately above it, the brain!
The area under and adjacent to the jaw joint contains two holes in the skull, called foramens, that allow nerves and blood vessels to enter and exit the brain. The proximity of these holes is important in that the condyle can impact on them. One foramen contains the carotid artery, which is the main blood supply from the heart to the brain, and the second contains four main nerve groups that exit the base of the brain. These nerves become impaired from damaging forces to the jaw joint with the resulting damage causing many of the other symptoms listed in table 1. For example, in boxing many people recognize that some boxers will speak with a tongue-tied pattern. This is a result not of getting the tongue beat up, but of getting the nerve that controls the tongue damaged from repeated impacts to the jaw joint. So what does this have to do with soccer? Plenty, since soccer players are subjected to the same types of forces that boxers are, and perhaps even more frequently. And likewise, athletes who demonstrate a change in voice patterns, e.g., develop a high raspy voice and decreased volume are also a result of damage to the nerve adjacent to the jaw joint. This is where many athletes develop problems with hearing, speech, and motor functions.
One other occurrence as a result of nerve damage in the jaw joint area, is neurological impairment at the nerve trunk that affects an athlete’s strength10.
In many cases the seasoned athlete can lose as much as 35% of arm (deltoid) and leg (quad and hamstring) strength due to jaw joint injury.
Ignoring the significance of lessened performance of the athletes, there is greater risk of further damage due to the weakened physical strength.
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 Picture 2 |
Is there significant risk of head injury from playing soccer? The studies and experiences to date would seem to indicate yes there is. The remaining question is how much damage? And how can we protect the players? Should we outlaw heading?
This would of course change the game dramatically if not destroy it. Besides, soccer is still a contact sport and players would still have contact with other players and with the ball, as in picture 2. What about helmets, at least for younger players? This may even worsen the situation.
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In helmeted sports such as football and hockey, while head, mouth, and dental injuries dropped dramatically in the 1970’s when faceshields were mandated, there remains a more significant problem. The helmet may do a good job of protecting the skull and face but what about the jaw joint?
The helmet is held in place by a chin cup or strap with 2 or 4 point snaps. Therefore every blow or impact to the helmet results in the forces of the blow being transmitted to the jaw joint as shown in picture 3. |
 Picture 3 |
| What about mouthguards? Many like to attribute the reduction in dental and head injuries to mouthguards. But an additional problem has been introduced by the use of mouthguards. Mouthguards can contribute even more to the damage inflicted on the jaw joint by providing a smooth surface for the lower teeth to slide more freely on and allow the jaw to slam back into the TMJ with even greater force. |
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In his studies and work with athletes of all ages, both sexes, and in many sports, Dr. Williams has developed a new form of safety equipment that prevents the type of damaging incidents that are described above. In figure 2 you can see the structure of the jaw joint protector and how it locks the jaw in a down and forward position, thereby removing the condyle from harm’s way, i.e., the delicate bones of the TMJ, ear and base of the brain. This patented appliance was developed after years of research and treatment of hundreds of athletes, many who are soccer players.
Yes, soccer may be less of a contact sport than others, but the injuries that soccer players are suffering have been substantial, as documented in radiographic studies11.
And yes, there is an additional benefit to be gained from using jaw joint protection. The strength that many athletes are losing due to jaw joint injury and neurological impairment mentioned above, can be returned to the athlete by the use of the jaw joint protector. |
| Figure 2 |
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Should sports governing bodies investigate the use of jaw joint protectors for contact sports? Yes, as a matter of experience and opinion of many qualified medical, dental, sports medicine and legal personnel12 . In fact the World Boxing Association has recently endorsed use of the jaw joint protector for all affiliated members13. Most parents, coaches and players are not aware of the seriousness of the problem. Once they understand the extent of injury athletes are suffering, and the easy form of protection available, then wearing a jaw joint protector is usually a moot point. When athletes feel the return of strength achieved from the use of the jaw joint protector, any reluctance to wearing it disappears.
As a coach, I have required the use of The BRAIN-PAD for my team. The BRAIN-PAD gives my players a competitive advantage in strength and performance, and a level of protection that exceeds anything else available anywhere today.
As a parent, I am convinced that this is the right thing to do. The BRAIN-PAD is not a mouthguard but an engineered safety device that protects more than the mouth, teeth and jaw. It protects important parts of the head. It is as easy to wear as shin guards and allows freedom to speak and breathe while it can return strength lost due to previous jaw joint injury. It should be standard equipment for all soccer players.
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1Compiled by Michael Holbrook, "Is Soccer The Safest Sport?", From The Soccer Network section, Soccer Journal, (July - August 1992), p. 23. "The Headball Controversy" reported in Soccer Press section, Soccer Journal, (November/December 1995), p.11.
2Williams, Dr. Edward D., "Sport’s Dentistry - Athlete’s Jaw Disorder As It Relates To The Vital Cranial Triad", Copyright 1991.
3Dr. Edward D. Williams, B.S., D.M.D., has x-rayed soccer players from ages 9 to over 40, with all showing some pathology of the jaw joint.
4NOHIC, is a service of the National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
5TMD Temporomandibular Disorders: Information for Patients, NOHIC, July 1995 . OP-31.
6 ibid.
7 ibid. 2.
8 ASTM Conference December 1994, subcommittee on headgear protection.
9 Williams, E.D., "Jaw Jjoint Disorders in Contact-Sports’ Athletes: Diagnosis and Prevention," Head and Neck Injuries in Sports, ASTM STP 1229, Earl F. Hoerner, Ed. American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, 1994.
10 Ibid. 3.
11 Ibid. 3.
12American Society of Testing and Materials standard in process ASTM F08.53-, Standard Test Method and Performance Specification for Jaw Joint Protectors, January 5, 1996. Rosen, Ross, "In The Aftermath of McClellan: Isn’t It Time For The Sport of Boxing To Protect Its Participants?", The Seton Hall Journal of Sports Law, Vol.5 1995.
13 Medical Advisory Committee Report to the General Assembly of the World Boxing Association; approved by the membership, November 24, 1995.
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