According to a recent CBS News segment (March 28, 2023), female athletes struggle to receive proper concussion treatment and diagnosis due to a lack of research. The article states that “the vast majority of sports concussion research has been conducted on male athletes” and that this disparity is leading to a “gender gap” in understanding and addressing the issue for female athletes. Read the Complete Story
From Cedars-Sinai: Concussions in Sports: Tips for Female Athletes
The article highlights several reasons for this gap, including the fact that female athletes tend to under-report their symptoms and that their symptoms may differ from those of male athletes. Additionally, the article notes that many female athletes participate in sports that are not traditionally associated with concussions, such as soccer and basketball, which can also contribute to the lack of research on the topic.
The implications of this gender gap are significant, as concussions can have serious long-term effects on an athlete’s health. The article suggests several steps that can be taken to address this issue, including increased funding for research on female athletes, better education and awareness among coaches and athletes and the development of more targeted concussion assessment tools for female athletes.
J. Patrick Johnson, MD is a renowned neurosurgeon specializing in spinal disorders and has served as the Director of the Institute for Spinal Disorders at Cedars Sinai Medical Center since 2001 and previously as the Director of the UCLA Comprehensive Spine Center from 1993-2001. Dr. Johnson is a well-known concussion and sports medicine expert and a sideline concussion doctor with the NFL.
This article is offered as informational only and not to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice.