The long and short term effects of head trauma are becoming a bigger talking point in sport by the week. While potentially lethal head injuries – such as those suffered by former Chelsea goalkeeper or Spurs midfielder Ryan Mason – have always been a concern, the longer-term impacts of average game-to-game head trauma is beginning to be taken more seriously.
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Clashing heads, being barged aggressively or even simply heading a football can cause minor head trauma, and over years this can add up, with potentially devastating consequences.
While Premier League clubs have doctors and specialists to help players recover after head injuries, amateurs don’t have that luxury – and anyone who’s played a game of Sunday League knows it can be a lot rougher than professional football. Indeed, research has shown that 66% of adult amateurs are concerned about the effect of heading the ball on their long-term health.
A range of helmets and skull protectors have been developed to help those who have suffered a serious head injury in the past, but what about preventing the problem at source? That’s where the Rezon Halos device aims to play a role. The Halos headband is designed to reduce the risk of concussion, by minimising rotational forces to the brain after an impact.
The headband boasts nine unique individual protective layers that collectively reduce the transmission of rotational forces to the brain. Ever looking to try out the latest football gadgets for our readers, FFT took the device along to an amateur club training session.
Naturally, FFT weren't willing to clash heads intentionally to test a product, but were pleasantly surprised to see it was comfortable and unrestrictive throughout the session. Team-mates asked what it was we had on our heads – given the device is larger and more padded than a sweatband – but were unanimously impressed upon hearing its purpose. So, it passed the ‘WTF is that thing?!’ test with flying colours, which is always good to know.
It felt comfortable, it didn’t change FFT's (admittedly wayward!) heading accuracy or power and didn’t start slipping down when it became sweaty, thanks to the textured grip dots inside the band.
If it does prevent head trauma as it describes – and lab tests have reportedly already proven Halos to reduce rotational force impact by 61% – it could be a game-changer for those who worry about the risk of brain injuries. Many football players do tend to worry about how they look and what they wear during games and, for that reason, we can’t really fault the headband. Yes, it’s bulky, but you quickly forget it’s there.
It’s well past the time football asked itself how long-term brain damage can be avoided, and products like this could have a huge impact on the health of footballers worldwide.
Order a Rezon Halos headband from £89.99 today.
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