Promising Method To Reduce Concussions During Athletics

"Woodpeckers spend their lives relentlessly beating their heads against trees, with each blow causing a jolt up to 1200g. Medically speaking, they should all be dead from concussion. So why aren't they?

"Researchers looking to protect athletes from concussion wanted to know. It turns out that woodpeckers have a long, strange tongue that wraps around their head and, when they want it to, squeezes down on their jugular vein. This causes the flow of blood to back up inside their skull, providing on-demand cushioning for their brain.

"The idea is to produce the same effect in humans. This collar puts pressure on the jugular, partially pinching it off, which backs up the flow of blood leaving the brain. Sounds scary and dangerous, but it's actually not. It's even been tested in football players, with promising (though highly preliminary) results." ~ Brian Dunning

The Effects of External Jugular Compression Applied during Head Impact Exposure on Longitudinal Changes in Brain Neuroanatomical and Neurophysiological Biomarkers: A Preliminary Investigation