October 26th, 2020
All terrain vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, skateboards, rip sticks and so on carry significant risks for head and neck injury.
I tell patients all of the time that injuring your arm is a low risk endeavor when riding a wheeled machine, but breaking your neck or hitting your head on a tree is a major problem for concussion or a significantly worse outcome.
Now, as Americans, we never shy away from a challenge when it comes to sports and activity. This is our collective ethos. Knowing that, how do we keep our kids safe when engaging in sports where head and neck injuries can occur?
1) Most Important - make sure that they are wearing a properly fitting helmet of high quality that covers the majority of your forehead. Wear it all of the time when riding
2) Dietarily, omega 3 fatty acids as fish oil is a proven preventative for concussion related inflammation. Taking an appropriate dose in concert with making sure that your children are not over eating omega 6 fatty acids as refined seed and vegetable oils in processed foods like chips, desserts and fast food
3) Properly check all of your equipment before riding as tire ruptures, poorly functioning breaks and gears can cause an unexpected crashes
4) If they are road riding a bicycle, it is preferable that they ride with a group as single riders are at significant risk for being hit by cars these days as a texting and driving is a major problem.
5) Stretching and rolling neck and back muscles can help keep the musculoskeletal system strong and loose to handle a crash or accident
