Proof – Men Have Harder Heads! Sports Medicine in Algonquin

Research has found that women suffer from concussions at higher rate than men!

According to the April edition of Radiology: Women may have a tougher time recovering their memory after concussions.

Scientists don’t know why the brains of women seem to respond to these brain injuries differently from those of men. But experts think it might have something to do with differences in male and female brains, or the way in which men and women are injured when their heads hit something.

Whatever the case, “you cannot treat women like you treat men,” said neuropsychologist Dave Ellemberg, an associate professor who studies brain injuries at the University of Montreal.

Concussions have gotten tremendous attention in recent years in the world of sports, and some research has shown that female athletes suffer concussions at a higher rate than male athletes playing similar sports, the researchers noted.

In the first round of scans, the Taiwanese researchers found that the sections of the brain devoted to “working memory (short-term memory)” were more active in brain-injured men and less active in

Risk factors for recovery include a history of multiple concussions, anxiety, ADHD and migraine headache.

The biggest risk factor is usually DAD! Dads send kids back too early because “they are fine” and “I played after I had my bell rung.” If you are a dad, stop it, times are different and you could be causing your child more problems.

After a concussion, physical and mental rest is the recommended treatment, do not give OTC anti-inflammatories in the first 72 hours, seek immediate medical treatment with loss of conciousness, vomiting, worsening of symptoms, symptoms that are not improving, seizure and for children under 2 years of age, any scalp swelling or abnormality in the way they usually behave.

Magnesium and Fish Oils may be helpful.

Return to play is based on activity tolerance, this should be done with the guidance of a healthcare practitioner. A general rule is 7-10 days of rest with slowly increasing activity levels without returning symptoms.

Seek medical attention if you have questions.

And, WHEN IN DOUBT KEEP THEM OUT!