While I’m thrilled mild traumatic brain injury in sport is finally getting the attention it deserves, falls and concussion in the elderly is at risk of being lost in the shadows. I understand the drama of high impact collisions in sport does grab our attention and headlines quite readily, but there are many older Australians […]
Category: Research
Your neck bone is connected to your head bone: Understanding concussion and its knock-on effects
As a neuro-vestibular physiotherapist who has been treating people with the knock-on effects of mild traumatic brain injury for many decades, my view is our society is taking two steps forward and one step back when it comes to understanding concussion and putting proper safeguards and treatment regimes into place. And this is because our […]
Football codes are waking up to the danger of concussion in sport
As the dust settles on Grand Final season for both the National Rugby League and the Australian Football League, these football codes have a unique opportunity to take a firm stand on concussion in sport and implement important protections immediately. I have long argued (like a voice in the wilderness) for sports codes to take […]
Stopping migraines would alleviate Australia’s $35b headache
I didn’t need to read the Migraine in Australia Whitepaper by Deloitte Access Economics to know that many Australians suffer from migraines. However, if you like figures, the report, as summaried by Headache Australia, details that in 2018, 4.9 million Australians were suffering from migraine, with 71% of them being women, of whom most are […]
Dizziness from swimming in cold water traced to caloric response in vestibular system
Why do many triathletes report dizziness during and after the swimming leg of a triathlon? We now know it’s due to the interaction between coldness and the vestibular system; that system in the inner ear that reports spatial data to our brains. During Balance Awareness Week, it’s timely to look at dizziness in swimmers because […]
Loneliness and the brain: A reflection on being alone during Covid-19 and through the holiday season
I write a lot about the role of the brain in relation to dizziness and balance disorders but in the course of my research, I come across a range of interesting and helpful articles like this one about loneliness. How Being Lonely Affects Our Brains by Jarren Gan, ties together some interesting strands of research […]