Doctors Say Female Athletes At Higher Risk For Concussions
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- We hear a lot about concussions, especially with football players, but experts say women are three times as likely to suffer a concussion.
"It is alarming as to how many females we see," Dr. Aimee Custer said.
Dr. Custer is a clinical neuro sports psychologist at the TRIA Orthopedic Center in Bloomington. She says female hockey players are two times more likely to suffer a concussion than their male counterparts.
Most of Dr. Custer's female patients coming in with concussion symptoms have been involve in hockey, soccer, and basketball.
While nothing has been proven, there are three studied proposals: women may have weaker neck muscles, they can have a history of migraines (which are a risk factor for concussions), and the role of hormones.
Dr. Custer says women may also be more likely to report concussion symptoms than men. She says the best way to prevent concussions is education, and that the focus should be on teaching female athletes how to be aware of their surroundings in their sport to prepare their bodies for a hit that could cause a concussion.