America is becoming a punch-drunk place. With the NHL season raging along and the NFL gearing up for its bone-crunching round of playoffs starting this month, most fans try not to give too much thought to how the players …
Sport
Frequent Soccer-Ball Headers Linked to Brain Injury
Coaches value players who have their head in the game, but a new study finds that may not be the healthiest thing for soccer players. Those who head the ball most frequently, the study showed, had damage in brain areas similar to …
NYC Marathon Sunday: Healthland’s Tips for a Safe, Fun Run
On Sunday, Nov. 6, tens of thousands of participants of the annual ING New York City Marathon will hurtle through the city’s five boroughs. That’s a lot of potential for fun — and for pain.
Kids’ ER Visits for Head Injury on the Rise — Why That’s a Good Thing
Children’s emergency room visits for concussion increased 60% over eight years, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — but that’s not necessarily bad news.
Serena Williams’ Diagnosis: What’s a Pulmonary Embolism?
People Magazine reports that Serena Williams underwent emergency treatment at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Monday for hematoma, a complication of earlier treatment for a blood clot discovered in her lung artery …
Study: Former NFL Players Are Popping Painkillers and in ‘Poor Health’
A new study commissioned by ESPN and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse suggests that retired NFL players are suffering a lot of pain: 7% are taking at least one prescription opioid painkiller, according to the study, …
Ski Helmets for Kids (and for their Reluctant Fathers)
Earlier this month, I went snowboarding for the first time in a few years. Not much has changed for me since the last time out. I still suffer from the same heady mix of poor depth perception and lousy risk management.
Study: Boys, Girls Suffer Different Concussion Symptoms
The next time you see a girl soccer player yawning on the sidelines, don’t just assume she was up late the night before the game. She might have a serious concussion.
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According to a Brown University press release:
The report doesn’t just count impacts overall. It also provides a breakdown by player position. The researchers measured not only how many hits the running backs or linebackers endured, but also the location the hit on the helmet. Where a hit occurs can make a big difference in how
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A Formula to Help Marathoners Avoid Hitting the Wall
When the weather turns crisp and farmer’s markets are lousy with pumpkins and apples, there’s a bounty of another sort: marathon runners.
Wii = Ouch. Video Games Can Be Hazardous to Your Health
Abrasions, shoulder sprains and ankle and foot injuries are everyday battle scars that kids rack up as they pursue a multitude of sports. But who knew they could be an occupational hazard of virtual athletics too?
Youth hockey: checking associated with higher injury risk
Recent increases in the number of youth hockey players suffering concussions after collisions on the ice prompted a team of Canadian researchers to investigate how body-checking rules in Pee Wee hockey leagues factors into injury incidence. In a study of more than 2,000 youth hockey players from Alberta and Quebec — roughly half of
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On the slopes, helmets cut head injury risk by a third
Wearing a helmet when you take to the slopes is commonly considered a good idea, but just how much of a difference does it really make? A big one. According to an analysis published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, for skiers and snowboarders, wearing a helmet reduces the risk of head injury by more than a third. And while,
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