Protect your brain, wear a helmet | In Good Health

I often see families riding their bikes around town?take one guess as to who is wearing a helmet.? It?s always the kids.? Parents, how come your brain isn?t important?? Would you play football without a helmet?? The risk of brain injury, including concussion is actually more likely when riding a bike.

The following 20 sports/recreational activities represent the categories contributing to the highest number of estimated head injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2009.

Cycling: 85,389
Football: 46,948
Baseball and Softball: 38,394
Basketball: 34,692
Water Sports (Diving, Scuba Diving, Surfing, Swimming, Water Polo, Water Skiing, Water Tubing): 28,716
Powered Recreational Vehicles (ATVs, Dune Buggies, Go-Carts, Mini bikes, Off-road): 26,606
Soccer: 24,184
Skateboards/Scooters: 23,114
Fitness/Exercise/Health Club: 18,012
Winter Sports (Skiing, Sledding, Snowboarding, Snowmobiling): 16,948
Horseback Riding: 14,466
Gymnastics/Dance/Cheerleading: 10,223
Golf: 10,035
Hockey: 8,145
Other Ball Sports and Balls, Unspecified: 6,883
Trampolines: 5,919
Rugby/Lacrosse: 5,794
Roller and Inline Skating: 3,320
Ice Skating: 4,608

The top 10 sports-related head-injury categories among children ages 14 and younger:

Cycling: 40,272
Football: 21,878
Baseball and Softball: 18,246
Basketball: 14,952
Skateboards/Scooters: 14,783
Water Sports: 12,843
Soccer: 8,392
Powered Recreational Vehicles: 6,818
Winter Sports: 6,750
Trampolines: 5,025

The average careful bike rider may still crash about every 4,500 miles.? Even a low-speed fall on a bicycle trail can scramble your brains.? Head injuries cause 75% of our 700 annual bicycle deaths.? Medical research shows that bike helmets can prevent 48% to 85% of cyclists? head injuries.? In children up to 19 years old, head injuries were linked to 63% of bicycle-related fatalities, according to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute.? Out of all the head-injuries in the US, an estimated 7% are bicycle related.? While the effectiveness of wearing a bicycle helmet is unknown, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that ?the use of bicycle helmets is effective in preventing head injury.?

Helmet Fitting

-????????? The helmet should fit snugly and not tilt side to side or front to back.? It should be level.

-????????? The helmet should cover most of the forehead, about 1-2 finger widths above the eyebrows.

-????????? Look for helmets with a dial that can get a precise fit.

-????????? Females -look for a helmet with a pony tail ?port?.

-????????? Put the helmet on, tighten the straps, and then try to lift it right off your head.? If it moves tighten the straps or try another helmet.? Heads come in all different sizes and shapes.? What fits you comfortably may not fit your friend.

Helmet Safety

-????????? Purchase a new helmet every 3-5 years.? Replace immediately if faded or cracked, or in an accident.? A helmet may look fine after a crash, but it is possible to have unperceivable damage to the foam or shell.

-????????? Pick a bright color (white, yellow, etc) with reflectors on the back.

-????????? Look for a CPSC sticker (US Consumer Product Safety Commission) inside the helmet or on the box.

-????????? In a recent review of retail versus bike store helmets, there was no significant difference in crash tests = any helmet is better than none at all!

http://www.aans.org/Patient%20Information/Conditions%20and%20Treatments/Sports-Related%20Head%20Injury.aspx

http://www.bhsi.org/guide.htm

?I just read this inspirational story about a college student who was hit by a car while cycling.? Matt Miller lived to tell about it and then completed a little race known as the Iron Man all while going to medical school.? A great read!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Road-Back-Michael-Vitez/dp/1475073089/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344347350&sr=1-3&keywords=Matt+Miller

The FDL Library also has it.?

About Sarah Schultz

Sarah is a Licensed Athletic Trainer at Sports, Spine and Work Center. She provides Athletic Training services at Campbellsport High School and provides Industrial Services to the community through WorkSTEPS testing, the Work Hardening Program and doing ergonomic evaluations. She is an avid cyclist and barefoot runner. Sarah?s other interests include dynamic stretching, core strengthening, rehabilitation, muscle recovery techniques, and sports nutrition.

Source: http://ingoodhealthfdl.agnesian.com/2012/09/09/protect-your-brain-wear-a-helmet/

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