10/15/2025
đ§ Can You Prevent a Concussion?â¨Not entirely â but you can reduce your risk.
Concussions are complex brain injuries, and while no equipment or exercise can make you completely âconcussion-proof,â research shows a few smart habits can lower the chances or reduce the severity of head impacts.
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1ď¸âŁ Wear a Mouth Guardâ¨While mouthguards donât stop concussions completely, several studies show they can reduce the force transferred to the skull and brain during contact â especially in sports like hockey, football, and rugby.â¨A systematic review (Emery et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2017) found athletes who consistently wore mouthguards had a lower rate of concussion and dental injury compared to those who didnât.
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2ď¸âŁ Perform a Neuromuscular Training (NMT) Warm-Upâ¨Structured warm-ups like FIFA 11+, Hockey Canadaâs NMT program, or tailored neck and balance drills improve neck strength, reaction time, and body control â all factors that can help athletes better manage contact and falls.
â¨Studies show NMT programs can reduce overall head and neck injury risk by up to 40â50% in youth and high school sports (Herman et al., Sports Medicine, 2012; Emery et al., BJSM, 2015).
While we canât eliminate concussion risk, consistent prevention strategies make a real difference.
𩺠If your team or athlete wants to build a concussion prevention and performance plan, we can help.
â¨đ Message us or head over to unboundphysicaltherapy.com for more info!