hey Kate...I'm a strength & conditioning coach with many elite soccer players as clients..I'm also a college soccer official so I'm totally aware and concerned abount players and concussions. I saw the segment about the head band I absolutely believe it gives players a false sense of security and confidence. I absolutely advocate for strength exercises particularly for the upper body and 'professional' mouth guards designed and initiated by 'accredited' dentists...same moth guards that are designed for profesional NFL players...which have statistically reduced major concussion injureis on specific impact. I would love to discuss further if interested...

The physics behind the headband is valid. There are limits to any protective device but it cannot be argued that impacts within the limit of the headband's design will significantly reduce the probability of injury over not using the device at all. If you design a device that will protect you from the impact of a fall from a height of ten feet, why would you expect it to be of any benefit if you fall from 20 feet? Be sensible, train, don't place yourself at risk of injury and wear the headband!

It doesn't matter what you wear on your head if you don't have the correct training or use the correct technique. When you head the ball, you want your power to come from your core, not from the neck itself. Most of the video clips shown tonight, the players were attempting to only use their neck in an attempt to control it. This puts players at a higher risk for injury. If you play and want to know the proper way to head a ball, all you have to do is google proper heading technique. You will find an overwhelming amount of information and training drills designed for this.

Yes, soccer is a contact sport and, like any contact sport, there will always be a risk for injury. I still cringe when players collide and I have been involved in the sport for 16 years as a player, referee, and most recently a coach myself. However, there are ways to protect yourself. Training and tactical evaluation are the two best ways.

Not once during this interesting program did anyone suggest that soccer rules should be changed or that kids have better equipment and not just a headband. Why do soccer organizations take these kind of risks with the future of these young players? The organization's first duty is to protect the players from harm.

Kate, forgive me for my criticism for I only saw a portion of your story tonight. I am very upset about how you attacked the maker of the Full 90 product. Clearly an entrepreneur, who like most of us wants to make a successful living. In my opinion, he is at least trying to address a serious issue that has been affecting soccer players for far too long. Most contact sports require the use of a helmet; football, hockey, wrestling and baseball as well as all equestrian activities to name a few. Other than in football the head and neck are not purposely used in any way in order to participate in these sporting events, however helmets are mandatory. Risk of head injuries in soccer has been documented for many years in numerous medical publications. Instead of attacking someone who is clearly trying to address and reduce the risk and frequency of head injuries in soccer, perhaps you could have used your journalistic air time to question the National Soccer Association about what they plan to do to reduce the risk of head injury for our children. Perhaps better education for coaches to teach proper technique, perhaps the mandatory use of protective helmets, or perhaps make it illegal to use your head to move the ball. My children no longer play soccer, however I am a physical therapist who has seen the devastating life long effects caused by head injury. Who is going to do something about it?

Just watched the episode on soccer. My son has played many sports, and every sport carries the risk of concussion, especially if you play at competitive level. If concussions are such a worry to this sport then associations should make mandatory the use of helmets. This being said though, we do not go very long with out hearing of head injuries in hockey, and those helmets are very well designed. My suggestion for young kids wanting to play the game, not at a competitive level, is that the coaches should not be incouraging Aggressive play. A young girl towards the end of the segment said that is what the coaches want, more aggresive play. These are kids having fun... Adults should let them have fun. Aggresive play should only be allowed at higher competitive levels, and then only with appropriate equipment.

I am a board-certified internist and oncologist and very much interested in traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Concussions are a manifestation of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and over time there is a high probability that recurrent TBI will lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as we are seeing in NFL players and which we also see in those involved in so-called IEDs (improvised explosive devices) as well as any events that lead to trauma to neural tissue. Those who repetitively use the typewriter will have a higher incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome. Therefore, it should be NO surprise that young women with repetitive concussions are showing signs of neural injury e.g., headaches, dizzyness, cognitive change, apathy etc. What will be tragic is if we fail to realize that over decades these same women may end up with advanced cognitive decline in their 50's.

There is a glaring failure, at least it seems, not to look for subclinical findings associated with TBI. This usually manifests itself with evidence of inflammation out of control. I did not see any attempt to evaluate these young women with biologic markers of inflammation such as hsCRP, TGFbeta, ESR, fatty acid ratios, oxidized LDL, homocysteine (Hcy), IL-1 beta and IL-6. Nor did I see any attempt to alter pro-inflammatory diets characterized by high sugar content, high omega-6 fatty acids, glutamates and other neural excitotoxins. Many teenagers in America and elsewhere are not taught how to select foods which are anti-inflammatory. From what I can tell, none of these youngsters are given any options to use over-the-counter or prescription medications that are free radical scavengers or have other pharmacologic properties that are anti-inflammatory.

Stephen B. Strum, MD, FACP

Ashland, OR

Brian Williams and Kate Snow were highly disappointing tonight. I am not only a nurse but also a consultant for a medical device company and have no ties to this product. This entire segment attacked a product using misleading journalism. The product stated "with typical use". They then presented a person who used the product off label by playing more aggressive then she did prior to using it. The video of her concussion she received at the base of her skull, was not a place the product claimed to protect. The player admitted to multiple concussions prior to the use of the head band, which leaves her at higher risk for further injury.

Presenting an entire report of complaints of a product being used off label is irresponsible. It is true there is a lack of evidence in pier reviewed journals. Most studies done are financed by companies with something to gain (either a parent company or a competitor). So this attack too is unfounded as it is the industry standard. The creator even agreed that he wants independent studies. He stated multiple times that it would not prevent injury in more aggressive playing.

The negative report of this program will lead people to not use this product. The statements made at the end of the show about other methods to reduce injury were true. I believe this report could have been presented in a way to bring attention to the consequences of playing with increased aggression, not blaming a product that may be able to help. This developer never said it will allow you to hit your head harder and more often and prevent concussions. It was designed to be worn with typical use, not more aggressive use.

This story was highly slanted and poor journalism, even boarder-line unethical. While there is a problem with people thinking they will not get concussions while wearing this, the story was designed to lead you the conclusion the head band failing was leading to injury. It briefly addressed the fact that people were playing differently once they started using it. The misuse of the product is the problem, and it isn't the result of inappropriate marketing as stated by Snow. People can not get upset when they use something off label and it fails. The responsibility lies in the players. If football players get concussions in full helmets, how will a headband prevent concussions with more aggressive play.

Kate, I am disappointed that the attack was on the maker of the headgear. Where was the equally important point that the parents and obviously the teen who had, what... 5 concussions had some responsibility too. It isn't a magic headband. I don't know that it would take me more than 1 concussion in my child while wearing the headband to know that either my child was playing way too aggressive or that the headband doesn't protect them as fully as necessary. Just because they have a protective device on, does not mean they won't get hurt (no matter what claim manufacturers make.) Consumers need to take some responsibility first, instead of pointing the fingers at others! ~ Any protection is better than none.

I saw this lat night and I do agree with everything. One thing I think should be looked into is the head gear/helmet that Peter Cech wears. He is a goalkeeper for Chelsea in the English Premier League and the Czech Republic. Now his headgear is custom made for him but it has saved his career. It is a lot different than the Full 90 headband. I would be interested in the doctor's thoughts on Peter's headgear and the protection it provides from concussions. It does look kind of goofey but if it allows a serious player to extend their playing days, looks won't matter.

NBC also needs to make a special on how to recover from concussions correctly so kids can return to the way their life used to be! I've heard to many stories like Natasha's and I think people need to also focus on how to restore kid's back to normal after their concussions. It's terrible that so many kids continue their lives with visual, cognitive, and or vestibular issues for the rest of their lives and are never able to restore their brains back to their original self. But, there are ways to get it back to normal! And I just wanted to share my story to possibly help Natasha and all the other kids who still struggle daily with the effects from their brain trauma.

I am an 18 year old who has suffered 3-4 concussions in playing boy's basketball and one very serious concussion. The most serious one happened two years ago, and I was unable to read and everything in my life changed much like Natasha. I couldn't do things like reading, watching tv, sitting in cars, or even just walking around grocery store because everything made me dizzy and nauseated. As a result from my concussions, my eyes were always disoriented looking, and sometimes my left eye would get droopy. It was hard to look people in the eye because it took a lot of energy to focus on a specific target. However, I was very fortunate to have many resources around me in the Pittsburgh, PA area. I saw one of the top concussion doctors in the country and there was a place I could also go to for vestibular therapy to regain my balance and orientation. I did therapy for 2-3 months and had to miss my team's state championship run in basketball. I regained most of my balance, but much like Natasha, I still struggled with school and reading was extremely hard for me.

Then, I was told of a place north of Pittsburgh which helped kids with visual issues. It was a place for vision therapy. I went there and they helped train my eyes to converge to read again, focus like they used to, and decrease my fatigue in my eyes when I reading (among other things). They also trained my cognitive abilities. My memory, attention, and visual speed were all trained to become back to normal and even a little better than before. This is an example of the power of Neuroplasticity, my brain rebuilt the muscles and neurons which were damaged by the head trauma I sustanied and through vestibular, visual, and cognitive training, it was able to get back to its normal self again. After 3 months of vision and cognitive therapy, I was able to read again, and resumed back to school normally, and was able to play basketball again without any issues. But more importantly was the fact that I could still perform like I used to academically now that my vision was restored. I had struggled visually, vestibularly, and cognitively for 6 months, and when I was able to see, think, balance, and read normally again, it was like I was born again. It was the greatest feeling of my life.

I understand the struggle of kids who suffer terrible concussions, and just hope that my story can maybe point them in the right direction so they can get back to their normal life again. It is possible. I hope Natasha can hear about my story and maybe even benefit from this! I do not know how I could contact her, but I really think with visual, vestibular, and cognitive therapy she could restore her vision and brain completely and return back to her normal life again!

Here's a link to an ESPN article which was based off the tragic story of Preston Plevretes in which I was mentioned:

While my heart goes out to the young woman who wore the headband for several years, I have to ask: Why didn't you stop after the first one or two concussions suffered while wearing the headband? It obviously wasn't working for your type of play. 5 concussions while wearing a device designed to prevent them doesn't make sense.

Kate,

Great reports! However, as you went after the guy who invented the headbands, I couldn't help thinking that at least he's trying to help things! What else is anyone else doing about this problem?! The quote of the little girls saying that the coaches were pushing them to be "aggressive" in the game (along with parents likely providing the same direction), isn't that part of the real issue? Why aren't they all just wearing helmets, like in boy's Football? All the experts were being critical of the headbands, yet they only suggest neck strengthening exercises? What a joke! At the same time professional NFL players are wearing full helmets and experiencing head injuries, how can we expect teams who have head-to-head contact not to experience head injuries? I'm left thinking that these parents/coaches who are allowing these young girls to play so aggressively are to blame. Either give them sufficiently-effective equipment (helmets, headbands, or whatever works) OR stop the aggressive playing. It's a pretty simple.

Thanks again for such insightful reporting.

As a MedEvac Helicopter Flight Nurse, a Trauma Nurse with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree, professional certifications as a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) and Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN), who has also been a Clinical Nursing Instructor in a 4-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, as well as being a Certified Clinical Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP) in Trauma/Critical Care, I can equivocally say that Kate Snow's report on the validity of the Full 90 Premier Headguard was DEAD ON.

Jeff Skeen, founder and CEO of Full 90 Sports, may very well be an effective entrepreneur, but missed the boat completely in the design engineering and marketing of the Full 90 headgear. One of the previous commenters noted, "He is at least trying to address a serious issue that has been affecting soccer players for far too long". That commenter also missed the boat.

I believe that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), should, like many other instances pointed toward pharmaceutical and medical device companies, issue an order mandating a drastic change in the misleading statements made in the product packaging and labeling, especially the statements made regarding the reduction in concussions.

In looking at the product, if you can achieve 100% compression of the spongy material, it will never work. That energy, if the product is totally compressed, is transferred directly to the skull, and for lack of a better term, allows the brain to "fly back and forth" inside the skull, producing an acute axonal injury.

An acute axonal injury occurs when the axons on the exterior of the brain slide across the hard, slightly rough surfaces of the inside of the skull, which would be like taking sandpaper to someone’s brain, disrupting the axons, and they can never make that nerve connection with the dendrites again, and the injury is permanent.

Continued axonal injuries, or even ONE SINGLE INJURY, may produce Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). If you’d like to see something that really makes me cringe, and still takes my breath away every time we make a follow-up visit to a head-injured patient that we have flown by aeromedical helicopter to a Level 1 Trauma Center, take a very close look at the Rock Center video at 7 minutes 45 seconds.

You will clearly see the sequele of what multiple concussive injuries did to Natasha Helmig, and can do to any athlete - amateur or professional - in any sport where head-to-head contact may occur. This young lady had serious difficulty simply reading sentences on the product packaging, and, will never be the same again. This is a very clear example of not just a simple concussion, but clearly a much more serious traumatic brain injury.
The bottom line -- this product should be taken off the market until such time that misleading statements are removed, and the research-based engineering is re-done and the product is re-engineered to a point where it provides adequate protection.

In addition, downloadable real-time telemetry data wirelessly transmitted to medical professionals on the sidelines that measures the G-force of any head hit, similar to "smart helmets" with "black boxes" worn by football players and professional race car drivers, should be added to this product.

This $45 product promises soccer players they can "stay in the game" and reduce the probability of a concussion by over 50 percent. These statements must be backed up by solid research, and in this case, any research done was totally flawed.
Further, instituting a neurocognitive concussion evaluation system, similar to the ImPACT Test (www.impacttest.com), to not only better detect concussions, but also to determine when an athlete can return to play, should be done in any sport where head-to-head contact may occur. Part of the evaluation involves a neurocognitive assessment that's done through a computer test.

Athletes take the test when they're healthy in order to get a baseline reading. If they have a concussion, or a high G-force hit, they can take the test again to see how their score compares to their own normal cognitive function.

Many teams require athletes to keep taking the ImPACT test until their scores are back up to normal levels. The test is one tool that can assist physicians in making return to play decisions.

Lastly, educating athletes, parents or significant others, coaches, teams and the medical professionals who treat athletes is also a positive step toward better prevention, care, treatment, recovery and the ultimate decision-making to reduce acute axonal injuries, traumatic brain injuries and career-threatening, career-altering, life- threatening and life-altering consequences associated with "head-hits" in any sport.

To Kate Snow and Rock Center segment producers Sarah Koch and Deirdre Cohen --- thankx for your clear, fair and insightful reporting that may keep just one single student, amateur or professional athlete from a life-long disability associated with a traumatic brain injury, and to keep their loved ones from enduring these life-changing events.

With my most sincere and warmest regards, as a parent of a student athlete, and a medical professional that sees the life-changing results of these injuries every time the rotors of our medical helicopter start to spool up and we fly toward the scene of an athlete that has just had their entire life changed in a split second !!!

Nexerciser.org describes a system that deals directly with the development of neck strength, endurance and power.

Great info in that article! Prevention is much better than treatment. It seems neck strengthening, as Dr. Cantu says, is the best way to prevent. Another great source for brain injury/ concussion info (as well as prevention) can be found at www.neuroconnect.ca. Thanks again for the great information!