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Neck and Spinal Cord Injuries
Content provided byProfessional Team PhysiciansSpinal-cord injuries in football most commonly occur when the head is used as an offensive weapon, as when one player tackles another or when a ball carrier is driven into the ground. A player is especially vulnerable when the force of contact is sent directly down the spinal column.
Neck and spinal cord injuries can range from mild and relatively common "burners" and "stingers" (brachial plexus injuries), to more severe, though less common, injuries including fractured and dislocated vertebrae, stretched or bent cervical nerve roots, and a bruised or severed spinal cord.
When you suffer a nerve injury, you usually experience numbness in your arm. This sensation is caused by a nerve being pinched between two vertebrae. Numbness or weakness in the arms and legs usually is a sign of a more serious injury to the spinal cord.
Brachial plexus injuries are the most common, and least serious, nerve injuries experienced by football players. They generally occur when the head is forced toward the arm, causing the nerve root that originates at the spinal cord to be pinched. Symptoms include temporary loss of motor skills and sensory function, a burning pain or tingling sensation that runs the length of the arm, and shoulder weakness.
Skills
Learning and practicing proper blocking and tackling techniques can help prevent neck and spinal cord injuries. Ball carriers and tacklers should never lead with their head when they are about to make contact.
Conditioning
Strengthening the muscles of the shoulders, back, and neck can help prevent neck and spinal cord injuries. Stronger muscles promote better posture, which leads to proper form.
Back strengthening exercises
Neck strengthening exercises
In addition, strengthening the trunk muscles - the abdomen, groin, hip, lower back, and pelvis – can help reduce the risk of neck and spinal cord injuries. Stronger trunk muscles provide more structural support to the spine.
If you have a history of recurrent brachial plexus injuries, an aggressive off-season neck and shoulder strengthening program can help build necessary strength and prevent future injuries.
Gear
Because they absorb shock and limit the movement of your neck in the event of a collision or blow, shoulder pads and neck rolls prevent many neck and spinal cord injuries. As with all football equipment, they need to be fitted to your individual height and weight to provide maximum protection.
Many professional and collegiate players wear "cowboy collars" for added protection. Worn with shoulder pads, a cowboy collar is several inches higher than a traditional neck roll, and helps prevent excessive neck movement and hyperextension of the neck.
The helmet you wear should be fitted to your head and have a padded chin strap, as this helps decrease the amount your helmet moves about your head.
 For more information on common injuries of the active individual, visit ActivePain.com. Check out Active Pain Council's Diagnostic Tool. This tool allows the active individual to further analyze injuries and take strides to prevent such pain in the future.
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