Some sports medicine physicians are challenging the ban on helmets in women's lacrosse while others support it, according to a story published in the New York Times.
Women's lacrosse bans all players except for goalies from wearing helmets. Those who support the ban, such as Margot Putukian, MD, Princeton (N.J.) University's director of athletic medicine and chairwoman of the U.S. Lacrosse safety committee, said helmets would promote more physical, or dangerous, play. "They tend to put their bodies and heads in danger that they wouldn't without the protection," said Dr. Putukian in the report. "And they aren't as protected as they might think."
While men's lacrosse rules mandate helmets and facemasks, women's lacrosse doesn't because female players cannot body check and collisions are minimized. However, women's lacrosse has been shown to have the third-highest rate of concussion among female scholastic sports. Jack Ryan, MD, representative from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, defended using helmets in women's lacrosse to prevent potential concussions.
Read the New York Times article on women's lacrosse ban on helmets.
Read other coverage on concussions:
- Concussion Management: The 3-Pronged Approach
- Athletes Can Experience Brain Damage Without Concussion Symptoms
- 5 Things to Know About Concussion Management and Prevention for Young Athletes
Women's lacrosse bans all players except for goalies from wearing helmets. Those who support the ban, such as Margot Putukian, MD, Princeton (N.J.) University's director of athletic medicine and chairwoman of the U.S. Lacrosse safety committee, said helmets would promote more physical, or dangerous, play. "They tend to put their bodies and heads in danger that they wouldn't without the protection," said Dr. Putukian in the report. "And they aren't as protected as they might think."
While men's lacrosse rules mandate helmets and facemasks, women's lacrosse doesn't because female players cannot body check and collisions are minimized. However, women's lacrosse has been shown to have the third-highest rate of concussion among female scholastic sports. Jack Ryan, MD, representative from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, defended using helmets in women's lacrosse to prevent potential concussions.
Read the New York Times article on women's lacrosse ban on helmets.
Read other coverage on concussions:
- Concussion Management: The 3-Pronged Approach
- Athletes Can Experience Brain Damage Without Concussion Symptoms
- 5 Things to Know About Concussion Management and Prevention for Young Athletes