Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast

• Orthopaedics, Concussion and Youth Sport Safety with Dr Bill Ribbans

  Send us a textWelcome back to headfirst: A Concussion Podcast, today we have the honour and privilege to welcome Professor Bill Ribbans. Professor Ribbans is a Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon and Professor of Sports Medicine, internationally recognised for his decades of work in elite sport and lower-limb orthopaedics. He trained in London, completed Fellowships in Sheffield and at Harvard, and began his Consultant career at the Royal Free before returning to Northampton, where he now works in full-time private practice.A prominent figure in sports medicine, Professor Ribbans has supported organisations such as Northampton Saints, Northampton Town FC, the English National Ballet, Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, and UK Athletics—caring for Olympians, world champions, and international teams. Alongside his clinical practice, he remains actively involved in concussion research and athlete welfare, contributing to national conversations on head-injury management while supporting the safety-driven work of Progressive Rugby and Luca Health.He has published more than 150 scientific papers and authored several books, including Knife in the Fast Lane, which blends autobiography with reflections on his 40 years working at the crossroads of medicine and sport. 01:50 - Professor Ribbans Journey into Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Surgery?03:40 - Biggest Challenges Working as Team physician07:33 – Is There an Over Emphasis on Return to Play Causing Increased Injuries? 12:35 – Return to Play Pressures 14:00 – Culture Around Injuries16:51 – What is a Concussion?19:47 – Process of a Head Injury Assessment (HIA)27:15 – Advocacy’s for Youth Sports35:10 – Implementation of Education Around Concussion in Youth Sports43:10 – Advice for Parent and Coaches49:30 – Most Rewarding Aspects of Professor Ribbans Job52:10 – Where We Can Find Professor Ribbans Progressive Rugby: https://www.progressiverugby.comLuca Health: https://luca.healthBooks:-       Knife In The Fast Lane : A Surgeon’s Perspective from the Sharpe End of Sport-       A Plague on All Your Sports: When Sport and the Pandemic Collided  Subscribe, review and share for new episodes which will drop weekly Social media:Twitter: @first concussionFacebook: Headfirst: A concussion podcastInstagram: Headfirst_ Concussion  Email: [email protected]

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• Understanding Youth Concussions with Dr Christina Master

  Send us a textWelcome Back to Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast, today we have the honour and privilege to welcome Professor Christina Master. Dr. Christina Master is one of the world’s foremost experts in paediatric sports medicine and concussion care. She serves as a primary care sports medicine specialist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where she also co-directs the Minds Matter Concussion Program—a nationally recognized Frontier Program dedicated to advancing care and research in youth concussion.A Professor of Paediatrics and Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, and a member of the Academy of Master Clinicians, Dr. Master has been widely honoured for her contributions to the field. Her accolades include research awards from the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, Paediatric Research in Sports Medicine, and CHOP’s Joanne M. Decker, MD Memorial Mentorship Award.With over 125 peer-reviewed publications and more than 8,000 citations, Dr. Master continues to shape the future of paediatric concussion care through ground breaking research, mentorship, and clinical excellence.  01:35 Journey into Paediatric Medicine and Concussion?03:30 Concussion Over the Years and Addressing the Research Gap05:40 What is a concussion and Differences Between Adult and Paediatric Populations08:45 Impacts of Terminology and Language Around Concussion11:50 Most common Ways Youth Population are Concussed 18:00 Listen to Child or Adolescence Regarding Symptoms of a Concussion 21:00 Signs/ Symptoms for Parents & Career Givers Regarding Medical Specialist Visit or Emergency Department 25:55 What’s Return-to-Play/Learn Look Like for Youth Population 35:30 Miss Conception About Concussion39:50 Dr Master Research and How Can we Help/Support?  Dr Christina MasterTwitter/x @drtinamasterhttps://www.chop.edu/doctors/master-christina-lhttps://scholar.google.com/citations?user=P3b3zh4AAAAJ&hl=en   Subscribe, review and share for new episodes which will drop weekly Social media:Twitter: @first concussionFacebook: Headfirst: A concussion podcastInstagram: Headfirst_ Concussion  Email: [email protected]

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• The Sociology of Concussion: Aaron Hernandez, Media Representation and the Woodpecker with Dr Greg Hollin

  Send us a textToday we have the honour and privilege of being joined by Dr Greg Hollin.Dr Hollin is a research fellow in the Department of Sociological Studies at the University of Sheffield, where he explores the intersections of science, technology, medicine, and culture. His research focuses on areas such as neuroscience, concussion, CTE, biomimetic technology, and ethics. Throughout his career, Dr Hollin has received several major research awards, including the Welcome Trust Research Fellowship in Humanities and Social Science and the Welcome Trust University Award (2022–2027). His extensive body of work has been widely cited, with over 800 citations to date, and he is recognised as a highly respected figure in his field. 01:45 - About Dr Greg Hollin03:40 - What is a concussion and Social Definitions09:10 - History of Arron Hernandez 11:11 - Way Media Reporting on Hernandez, Concussion and CTE May Shape Discussions16:00 – Narrative Around Brain Injury and Copiability 20:15 – Q-Collar, Woodpeckers and Commercial Interests In Animals31:00 - What is Hard Knock Life: Negotiating Concussion and Dementia in Sport37:00 – Where to Find Dr Greg Hollin and Support His Work https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=s1mkGeYAAAAJ&hl=enMaking a murderer: Media renderings of brain injury and Aaron Hernandez as a medical and sporting subject: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953619305933#bib16 Consider the woodpecker: The contested more-than-human ethics of biomimetic technology and traumatic brain injury: https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=s1mkGeYAAAAJ&citation_for_view=s1mkGeYAAAAJ:TFP_iSt0sucC

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• (Re-Release): NFL, Q-Collars, Woodpeckers and Concussion with Dr James Smoliga

  Send us a textWe are joined by Professor James Smoliga, who serves as the Director of Research and Faculty Development for Tufts University's, Doctor of Physical Therapy program in Seattle. Professor Smoliga previously held the position of Associate Director of the Human Biomechanics and Physiology Laboratory at High Point University. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and was awarded the 2022 Guy Simoneau Excellence in Research Award. With over 175 publications that have been cited nearly 4,000 times, Professor Smoliga brings a wealth of expertise to our discussion. In this episode, we explore the criteria for trustworthy research, the essential questions to ask, and how to apply these principles to proposed concussion mitigation devices such as the Q-Collar. We examine from a physiological and evidence-based perspective, why such devices are ineffective in reducing the risk of concussions. 07:05 – What is Research?13:00 – Ramifications of Unethical Research15:35 – Introduction, Proposed Method of the Q-Collar & the Flaws in These Studies18:27 – Why the Altitude Proposal Does Not Work, the Scientific Reasoning, and the Demonstration of Data Interpretation32:57 – Jugular Compression and Blood Flow37:17 – Does a Woodpecker Have a Relationship with Concussion & the Q-Collar?57:06 – The Increased Risk with Potentially No Benefit & How Did It Get FDA Authorized?1:06:02 – Why Are We Resorting to Possible Protective Equipment for Concussion?1:11:40 – Fun Research Projects by Professor Smoliga – The Taylor Swift EffectHow an FDA cleared “brain protection” device built on shaky science made it to the NFL: https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj.r2028 Dr Mu Yang Episode 55: Academic Research Sleuthing with Dr Mu YangDr James Smoliga: Twitter/X: @jsmoliga Pseudomedicine for sports concussions in the USA:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1474442219302509?via%3DihubWoodpeckers don’t play football: implications for novel brain protection devices using mild jugular compression: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/53/20/1262Reconsidering the woodpecker model of traumatic brain injury: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1474442218301571?via%3DihubTeam Logo Predicts Concussion Risk Lessons in Protecting a Vulnerable Sports Community from Misconceived, but Highly Publicized Epidemiologic Research: https://journals.lww.com/epidem/fulltext/2017/09000/team_logo_predicts_concussion_risk__lessons_in.17.aspxYou can find all Dr Smoliga’s publications here: https://facultyprofiles.tufts.edu/james-smoliga/publications?favouritesFirst=true&perPage=25&sort=dateDesc&startFrom=0

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• NFL, Helmets, Concussion and No Game for Boys to Play: The History of Youth Football and the Origins of a Public Health Crisis with Dr Kathleen Bachynski

  Send us a textToday, we’re joined by Associate Professor Kathleen Bachynski from Muhlenberg College. Her research explores injury prevention, sports safety, and youth health, examining how communities perceive brain injuries in sports—as accidents or preventable public health issues. She is the author of No Game for Boys to Play: The History of Youth Football and the Origins of a Public Health Crisis (2019), winner of the 2020 North American Society for Sport History Book Award, and a widely cited expert in the field. (01:30) How Dr Kathleen Bachynski Become Involved in Public Health Ethics/ History?(04:00) What is a Concussion (05:20) What is CTE? (07:20) History of Youth Football(11:47) Historical View of Helmets in Football(18:46) Media and Marketing of Helmets in Football Causing Confusion(23:25) Start of Litigation on Helmets and Mix Messaging(27:10) Chocolate Milk Preventing Concussion and Pseudoscience of Devices(32:08) Consent and Ethics(38:40) Actionable Steps to Make Football Safer(43:15) Where Can We Find and Help Support Associate Professor Kathleen Bachynski  Kathleen Bachynski: Muhleberg College: https://www.muhlenberg.edu/facultysearch/facultyresults/kathleenbachynski/No Game for Boys to Play: The History of Youth Football and the Origins of a Public: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com.au/No-Game-Boys-Play-Football/dp/1469653702University of North Carolina Press: https://uncpress.org/9781469653709/no-game-for-boys-to-play/Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=4eagFpAAAAAJ&hl=en  Subscribe, review and share for new episodes which will drop weekly Social media:Twitter: @first concussionFacebook: Headfirst: A concussion podcastInstagram: Headfirst_ Concussion  Email: [email protected]

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