On concussions, climate and conditions

June 13, 2023

The lacrosse player approaches the net and flings their stick toward the goal to release the ball. The defender tries to block the shot and catches the shooter in the head with their stick. The goalie reacts late and the ball goes in the net. Teammates rush over to the shooter, who is clutching their head.

The field may be turf, or the field may be grass, but that does not seem to affect whether the shooter got a concussion. In a recent paper, researchers looked at whether playing conditions affected the occurrence of concussion in outdoor contact sports, such as lacrosse. After reviewing 20 articles on the topic, the main finding was that playing conditions, such as field surface and game location, did not influence concussion occurrence. While one reviewed article did suggest less concussions occur in wet conditions, in general playing conditions would not fully explain why the ball carrier suffered a concussion.

Learn more in the Journal of Athletic Training: https://meridian.allenpress.com/jat/article/doi/10.4085/1062-6050-0655.22/492748/Do-climate-and-environmental-characteristics

Learn more about lacrosse injuries and how to prevent them on the Lacrosse page.