Go Ad-Free
logoThe People's Perspective on Medicine

Show 1011: Sports and Concussions

How can head injuries that result in concussions be avoided? And how should concussions be treated to minimize the damage?
Current time

Sports and Concussions

0% played% buffered
Duration

Sports are a great way for kids to get physical activity and learn teamwork. But how vulnerable are kids’ brains when they play sports?

In many popular sports such as football, soccer or lacrosse, players may collide with each other or with the ball. How could a bump on the head affect the brain?

What Are Concussions?

Learn what concussions are and how they are diagnosed. We’ll also explore the possible consequences of concussions.

What could be done to prevent concussions? We’ll discuss the best ways to treat a head injury to minimize long-lasting damage.

This is the first of two shows on head injury and concussion.

This Week’s Guests:

Alan Finkel, MD, FAAN, FAHS, is co-founder and partner of the Carolina Headache Institute. He is also President and CEO of The Carolina Headache Foundation and a contractor for the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Centers in Fort Bragg, NC. Dr. Finkel is chair of the Post-traumatic Headache Section of the American Headache Society. The photo is of Dr. Finkel.

Kevin Guskiewicz, PhD, ATC, is Kenan Distinguished Professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also Co-Director of the Matthew Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center and Director of the Center for the Study of Retired Athletes. He has just been named Dean of the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Guskiewicz has served on NCAA’s Concussion Committee, NFL’s Head, Neck, and Spine Committee, and NFLPA’s Mackey-White Committee and was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2011.

Listen to the Podcast:

The podcast of this program will be available the Monday after the broadcast date. The show can be streamed online from this site and podcasts can be downloaded for free for four weeks after the date of broadcast. After that time has passed, digital downloads are available for $2.99. CDs may be purchased at any time after broadcast for $9.99.

Buy the CD

Download the mp3

Rate this article
star-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-empty
3.4- 14 ratings
About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
Tired of the ads on our website?

Now you can browse our website completely ad-free for just $5 / month. Stay up to date on breaking health news and support our work without the distraction of advertisements.

Browse our website ad-free
Join over 150,000 Subscribers at The People's Pharmacy

We're empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.