Context Concern is growing among soccer players, coaches, and parents regarding head and neck injuries, including concussion, particularly from heading a ball. Thus, we need to explore soccer-specific head injury risk-reduction initiatives. One such initiative is to condition the neck musculature of young players by adding neuromuscular neck exercises to existing injury-reduction exercise programs. Objective To investigate the effect of neuromuscular neck exercises completed as part of an injury risk-reduction exercise program on the incidence of soccer-related head and neck injuries in adolescent soccer players. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Two sports high schools and 6 soccer clubs during the 2021 soccer season. Patients or Other Participants A total of 364 male and female soccer players, aged 12 to 18 years. Intervention(s) Members of 1 sports high school and 2 soccer clubs performed neuromuscular neck exercises as part of an injury-reduction program during training (neck training group). Members of another sports high school and 4 soccer clubs performed an injury-reduction program but without neck exercises (comparison group). Main Outcome Measure(s) Self-reported injury data were collected from each player at the end of the season and used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% CIs. Results In total, 364 players completed the study, including 146 players in the neck training group and 218 players in the comparison group. Despite players in the neck training group being less likely to self-report a concussion (IRR = 0.23; 95% CI = 0.03, 1.04) and pain on heading a ball (IRR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.34, 1.07), only a lower incidence of possible concussive events (IRR = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.14, 0.90; P < .05) was significant. Conclusions Integrating neuromuscular neck exercises into injury-reduction exercise programs has the potential to reduce the risk of adolescent soccer players sustaining a possible concussive event, concussion, or pain on heading a ball. Key Points - Adolescent players who performed neuromuscular neck exercises integrated into injury-reduction programs recounted fewer concussions and possible concussive events as well as less pain on heading a ball than players who did not perform these exercises. - Compared with players who indicated experiencing more headers per week, those who described <10 headers per week were more likely to note pain on heading a ball, concussion, and a possible concussive event. - Players who had not received heading technique training were more likely to report a concussion. - Most players who performed the neuromuscular neck exercises stated that they would like to continue doing so in the future.
© Copyright 2023 Journal of Athletic Training. National Athletic Trainers' Association. Kaikki oikeudet pidätetään. / Kääntänyt https://www.DeepL.com/Translator