How do the Neck Muscles Influence Head Acceleration During Sport-associated Impact Events in High School Athletes?

Sport-related concussion is a common and serious injury that can affect athletes of all ages in any sport. The purpose of this project is to study the effect of a 12-week manual resistance neck strengthening exercise program on participants' neck size and strength and how their heads and necks move during simulated sport-associated tasks. This study will help determine if greater neck strength may lower an athlete's risk of sport-related concussion. Each healthy male and female soccer athlete between the ages of 13-19 enrolled in the study will participate for approximately four months. Study participation includes routine visits with various assessments (i.e. certain body measurements, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound) in addition to the strengthening exercise program.