The Concussion Nerds Podcast

Have you ever noticed your concussion symptoms get worse right before a storm, in bright light, or on a hot day? If so, you're not imagining it. It's easy to brush these moments off as coincidence or assume you just have to live with them. Many people even start avoiding the things that trigger their symptoms, like going outside, exercising, or being in bright environments. In this episode, we're...

Have you ever wondered if your concussion symptoms are really from your brain injury, or if something else could be contributing to the way you're feeling? Many people assume problems like poor focus, forgetfulness, irritability, or mental fatigue are simply part of concussion recovery. Others are told it's "just ADHD." The reality is that these two conditions share many of the same symptoms, maki...

Have you ever wondered why recovering from a concussion after a car accident can feel so much harder than recovering from a sports injury? Many people assume that all concussions follow the same recovery path. As a result, motor vehicle accident (MVA) concussions are often managed using frameworks designed for athletes, leaving important factors overlooked. The reality is that car accident-related...

Have you ever found yourself trying to explain your concussion symptoms—only to be met with doubt, confusion, or the dreaded "But you look fine"? Living with an invisible injury can be incredibly isolating. Whether it's an employer questioning your ability to work, a doctor dismissing your concerns, a family member who doesn't understand, or even your own inner critic making you question your expe...

Could your elderly patient or loved one be living with a concussion that no one ever diagnosed? Too often, we associate falls in older adults with broken hips or "just getting older," overlooking the possibility of a brain injury. When memory problems, balance issues, or mood changes appear after a fall, they're frequently dismissed as normal aging instead of signs of a treatable concussion. In th...

Have you been told your dizziness is "just anxiety" — and wondered why you still don't feel like yourself months or even years later? Many people living with persistent dizziness make the mistake of assuming they simply have to learn to live with it. That's exactly why vestibular physical therapists Dr. Abbie Ross and Dr. Danielle Tolman are joining me on the podcast today. Together, we unpack Per...

Have you ever wondered why your brain feels completely exhausted after answering emails, sitting in a Zoom meeting, or trying to multitask after a concussion? So many people think they're "resting" after a concussion because they're not exercising or playing sports—but meanwhile, they're doom scrolling, juggling tasks, taking calls, and overloading their brain without even realizing it. The proble...

  What if we approached brain health the same way we approach our dental checkups or yearly eye exams? Most people wait until they're dealing with brain fog, concussion symptoms, cognitive decline, or burnout before paying attention to their brain health. But by the time symptoms show up, changes may have already been happening behind the scenes for years. In this episode, we're diving into why pr...

What if raising your energy didn't require pushing harder… but simply slowing down long enough to reconnect with yourself? So many of us try to shift our mood, mindset, or frequency through force. We hustle for healing, chase productivity, and pressure ourselves to "feel better" faster. But true energetic shifts often happen in the quietest moments — through presence, softness, and allowing. In th...

What if the symptoms you've been fighting for years aren't "just stress" or "just a concussion"? Too many people are told to simply rest, push through, or wait it out after a brain injury or traumatic event. But when symptoms like migraines, dizziness, anxiety, sleep struggles, nervous system dysregulation, and chronic pain continue to linger, it's often a sign that something deeper is being misse...

Have you ever felt like nobody truly understands what you're going through—whether you're navigating concussion recovery, building a business, or trying to support others without burning yourself out? Too many people try to "do it all" alone. Clinicians isolate themselves instead of leaning into collaboration, entrepreneurs carry the weight of leadership in silence, and those on a healing journey...

What if you gave yourself permission to pause… without needing to earn it first? So many of us carry the belief that we always need to be doing, fixing, striving, or proving something. Even during rest, our minds keep racing and our bodies stay braced for what's next. But living in constant motion can leave you disconnected from yourself, exhausted in your body, and craving a moment of softness. T...

Are you focusing so much on calming your nervous system that you might actually be slowing down your recovery? If you've been doing all the "right" things—breathwork, tapping, somatics, sound healing—but still feel stuck, you're not alone. There's a growing trend in the concussion space to label everything as a nervous system issue… and while that's part of the picture, it's not the whole story. H...

What if the reason your clients (or you) aren't improving isn't a lack of effort—but a too-narrow approach to healing? You might be doing everything "right"—seeing the best specialists, targeting specific symptoms, following structured plans—yet still hitting a frustrating plateau. Here's the uncomfortable truth: when care stays siloed, progress stalls. Focusing on one system at a time can help… b...

This week's meditation invites you to step away from stillness and into intuitive movement. Instead of guiding the mind, this practice encourages you to reconnect with your body—allowing it to lead, express, and release in its own natural way. There's no background music provided in this session. Instead, you're encouraged to choose your own playful, freeing song and let it shape your experience....

What if the hardest part of concussion recovery isn't what you feel… but what no one else can see? So many people living with concussion are stuck in this exhausting loop—pushing through because they "look fine," downplaying symptoms, or waiting for progress to magically happen just by showing up to appointments. On the outside, life might look normal. But internally? It's a constant negotiation w...

Are you overlooking the neck as a major driver of your client's persistent concussion symptoms—even when you think you've already treated it? So many clinicians (and even clients themselves) assume the neck has been "dealt with" because pain was addressed or manual therapy was done. But if you're only looking at range of motion, muscle tension, or pain levels, you're likely missing huge pieces of...

What would change if you gave yourself full permission to pause—even for just a few minutes? So often, you're caught in the cycle of doing more, proving more, and meeting every expectation… leaving little to no space for yourself. You may think rest is something you have to earn, or worse, that taking time for yourself is selfish. But the truth is, constantly pushing without pausing only disconnec...

What if the reason your concussion recovery feels stuck… isn't your body—but the way you've been navigating it? Too many people wait, guess, or follow the wrong advice after a concussion—bouncing between providers, trying random solutions, or doing nothing at all—only to end up months (or years) later still struggling with symptoms that could've been addressed sooner. In this episode, we unpack wh...

What if everything you've been told about concussion recovery… is actually slowing you down? Too many people are still being told to "just rest," sit in a dark room, and wait it out—only to find themselves months (or years) later still struggling with symptoms that no one seems to understand. And that's the problem. Concussions aren't just a "brain issue." They're complex, multi-system injuries—an...

What if the reason you feel stuck with complex concussion cases isn't the client—but how you're organizing the problem? You might be trying to treat every symptom individually—chasing headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and brain fog as separate issues—only to feel overwhelmed, frozen, and unsure where to start. The truth is, persistent concussion cases aren't simple—and when you approach them without...

What if your recovery—or your patient's recovery—isn't stuck… but simply out of sync? You might be doing "all the right things"—treating the neck, addressing vision, working on vestibular rehab—yet still hitting frustrating plateaus that don't make sense. Because here's the truth: when each system is treated in isolation, even brilliantly, the brain never fully relearns how to coordinate them. Pro...

What if the symptoms you've been trying to fix aren't actually the problem? If you've been chasing individual concussion symptoms—dizziness, fatigue, brain fog—without real progress, you might be stuck in the cycle of treating what's obvious instead of what's actually driving the issue. Here's the truth: when you treat symptoms in isolation, you risk missing the deeper system interactions undernea...

When was the last time you truly saw yourself with kindness instead of criticism? So many of us move through life focused on what we're not doing well enough—constantly pushing, fixing, and judging ourselves—while completely overlooking the quiet, steady effort it takes just to keep showing up each day. That constant self-criticism can leave you feeling disconnected, exhausted, and never quite "en...

What if your "not dizzy" symptoms are actually coming from a hidden vestibular problem? You might be overlooking a major piece of your recovery by assuming vestibular dysfunction only shows up as dizziness—or by relying on vague descriptions like "I feel off" without digging deeper. And here's the catch: that misunderstanding can keep you stuck. If you're treating the wrong thing—or missing someth...