Concussions can occur to anybody, anytime, anywhere. Having said that, some sports and activities do make the risk of getting concussion rather higher than sitting in front of the television!

One sure way to put yourself into a high risk potential concussion situation is flying down a snowy mountain side on two bits of wood – you’ve guessed it, skiing. Concussion in skiing is pretty common, not surprisingly, and sometimes the consequences can be fatal – the seemingly simple fall of actress Natasha Richardson (wife of Liam Neeson) brought this once again into the media spotlight only a year or so ago, although she’s not the only celebrity who has come to an untimely end in this way – you might remember that a similar thing happened to Sonny Bono in 1998 – that’s nearly 12 years ago now, surely some lessons should have been learned.

Prevention of Skiing Concussions

So what’s the best way to prevent skiing concussion? Well, don’t fall over for a start, or run into any trees, telegraph poles, snowmen or other skiers, but apart from that there’s a very simple way you can reduce your risk of concussion if you fall over or crash (and let’s face it, most of us do at some point) and that’s to wear a skiing helmet.

There are no guarantees that a skiing helmet can prevent concussion, but they are certainly known to help. An article written in 2006 reported that wearing a skiing helmet can reduce the risk of death by 80%, according to a study by Dr Stuart Levy of Denver. 

Safety has to be at the forefront of all sports, and with more and more people taking to the slopes, some skiing resorts are now making it (or in the process of making it) compulsory to wear a skiing helmet while skiing or snowboarding. According to the National Ski Areas Association, during the 2008/9 season, 48% of skiers and snowboarders in the United States wore helmets, that’s great news, but it also means that 52% didn’t!