loading . . . #79 What Clinicians Miss in Concussion Recovery: Neck Dysfunction & Fear Avoidance w/ Dr. Treleaven ๐ง Welcome to the Concussion Corner Podcastยฎ, your trusted resource for interdisciplinary conversations related to all things concussion-related in healthcare, advocacy, and sport.
๐ฅผ Hosted by Dr. Jessica Schwartz PT, DPT, CSCS, a doctor of Physical Therapy and brain injury survivor, who is unapologetically passionate about educating healthcare professionals about concussion, examination, intervention, collaboration, & advocacy.
๐๏ธConcussion Corner Podcastยฎ is our Free Open Access Medical Education #FOAMed portion of our 24 weeks of educational programming at Concussion Corner Academyยฎ. We're so happy that you're here!
๐ Concussion Corner Academyยฎ has two courses, Concussion: The Patient Rehabilitation Journey Part I & Part II, which has 30 hours of continuing education credits for each course for PT, OT, and ATC in all 50 United States. Weโve served hundreds of healthcare professionals all over the world and across all professions. Weโre truly interdisciplinary and interactive across all aspects of our programming!
๐ Visit us at https://www.concussioncorner.org to learn more about how you can join our #TeachOneServeMany community!ย
---------
In this Episode:
๐๏ธ When it comes to post-concussion rehabilitation, the cervical spine is frequently under-assessed despite its critical role in symptom generation and persistence. In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Julia Treleaven PhD, BPhty, FACP, we go beyond the structural contributions of the cervical spine and explore the often-overlooked psychosocial factors that impact concussion recovery. We discuss how fear avoidance, catastrophizing, and missed cervical spine involvement can lead to persistent post-concussion symptoms and delayed progress.
๐ฉป Dr. Treleaven shares insights on the role of manual therapy, sensorimotor training, and the importance of individualized, interdisciplinary care. We also reflect on her experience teaching inside Concussion Corner Academyยฎ, including what stood out about our studentsโ clinical reasoning and the power of collaborative learning.
๐ตโ๐ซ We also tackle common clinical oversights in concussion care, such as failing to differentiate between vestibular and cervicogenic dizziness or relying too heavily on passive rest. Dr. Treleaven walks us through practical strategies for differential diagnosis and explains how early, targeted cervical interventions can significantly improve patient outcomes.
๐ Whether youโre a PT, OT, ATC, OD, or MD, this episode offers a compelling reminder that comprehensive concussion care must include a clear understanding of the cervical spine.
๐ Ready to dive deeper? Dr. Treleaven returns as faculty this fall for Concussion: The Patient Rehabilitation Journey Part II. Join our September 2025 cohort and learn from Dr. Treleaven and our full interdisciplinary team live and online.
ย ๐ Enroll now at www.ConcussionCorner.org
ย ๐ #FOAMed Resources Mentioned In This Episode:
๐ ๐ ๐ Lesser-known patient-reported symptoms arising from the upper cervical spine - A scoping review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40580787/
๐ Effectiveness of adding rehabilitation of cervical related sensorimotor control to manual therapy and exercise for neck pain: A randomized controlled trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36414518/
๐ The ef๏ฌcacy of manual therapy and exercise for treating non-speci๏ฌc neck pain: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28826164/
๐ Effects of Multimodal Interventions on Patients with Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40139494/
00:00 Concussion Education Evolution
04:07 The Role of Manual Therapyย
08:40 Fear Avoidance and Catastrophizingย
16:18 Upcoming Publications and Conferences
27:10 Concussion Cornerยฎ Outroย
A Word From Our Sponsor: ๐ ๐ฒโฝ๏ธ๐Since 2011, Virginia Tech researchers have been providing unbiased helmet ratings that allow consumers to make informed decisions when purchasing helmets. The helmet ratings are the culmination of over a decade of research identifying which helmets best reduce concussion risk. This work is done as part of Virginia Techโs service mission and is 100% independent of any funding or influence from helmet manufacturers. Please visit the Virginia Tech helmet lab website at bit.ly/VirginiaTechHelmets and spread the word to aid in lowering concussion risk in your community ๐โพ๏ธ๐ฅ
*This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and should not be confused for medical advice. Please reach out to your medical team or call 911 if this is an emergency* https://www.spreaker.com/episode/79-what-clinicians-miss-in-concussion-recovery-neck-dysfunction-fear-avoidance-w-dr-treleaven--67028582
