I know Dr Cantu and the Boston group promote the idea "To answer your question about blows to the head--- whenever the brain moves either back and forth or side to side quickly and violently there is a risk of concussion. If your head snaps back by a violent push, the neck muscles are not strong enough to keep the head stable. The brain therefore goes back and forth in the skull . That is one of the reasons why concussions are higher in girls and young kids----their neck muscles are not as strong. "

I've read their data. It is incomplete. I have a early publication copy of Dr Cantu's book of a few years ago. I was a reviewer. I was shocked to see such a strong claim. Stronger necks protect the neck as much as they protect the brain.

But, if one looks at the pure physics of impacts, this hypothesis is weakened. It is more likely an upper neck injury that manifests with concussion like symptoms. Yes, there are still symptoms. U Buffalo research says up to 80% of concussion symptoms are neck injury related.

I'm surprised Dr Cantu, as neurosurgeon, is not seeing the evidence of upper neck injuries. They are subtle and do not show up on normal CT Scans or MRI's. It take a special skill set to recognize these subtle injuries. But, when treated, the recovery progression can change dramatically.

The neck issue may just be a multiplier that makes a minor concussion have much worse symptoms when there is a neck injury component. Anecdotal evidence suggests this is the case. Unfortunately, the research is vastly incomplete.