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Holidays can feel like a sensory obstacle course when you’re healing from a concussion or navigating post-concussion syndrome. We unpack a clear, compassionate plan to trade overwhelm for ease—without opting out of the moments that matter. With returning guest Chaandani Khan, we explore how to choose fewer, more meaningful events, set time limits that prevent crashes, and skip the infamous "Minnesota goodbye" by aligning expectations with your host. You’ll get practical boundary scripts that don’t feel awkward, plus mindset shifts that protect identity and fuel progress.

We go deep on managing sensory load in real time. Learn how to claim the best seat in the room and use casual strategies to reach quieter corners without missing out. If masking drains you, we talk through honest check-ins and how to leave before your system tips into a multi-day setback.

Food and drink play a bigger role than most realize. We break down how gut permeability and a stressed blood-brain barrier can turn sugar and alcohol into headache and brain fog triggers. Get solutions you can use immediately: eat before you go, bring safe snacks and non-alcoholic options, and answer dietary questions simply—no long explanations needed. By combining sensory smarts, recovery-day buffers, and steady nutrition, you’ll keep your energy for connection, not recovery spirals.

If this conversation helps, tap follow, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a quick review—it’s the best holiday gift you can give our show. What strategy will you try first?

Connect with Chaandani at www.returntolife.ca and discover how her work is helping bridge the gap between patients and practitioners in the concussion recovery journey.

Email Chaandani: hello@returntolife.ca

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Dr. Wolf's book Concussion Breakthrough: Discover the Missing Pieces of Concussion Recovery is now available on Amazon!

What topics do you want to hear more about? What questions do you have? Email us at lifeafterimpact@gmail.com

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Website: lifeafterimpact.com

Medical disclaimer: this video or podcast is for general informational purposes only, and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advice. No doctor patient relationship is formed. The use of this information and materials included is at the user's own risk. The content of this video or podcast is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice diagnosis or treatment. Consumers of this information should seek the advice of a medical professional for any and all health related issues.

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A faster return isn’t always a safer one. We sit down with physiotherapist Kosta Ikonomou to unpack why musculoskeletal injuries spike two to three times after a concussion and how to build a recovery plan that restores performance, not just symptom reduction. From elite level athletes to everyday patients navigating concussion rehab, Kosta shares hard-earned lessons on testing, training, and the psychology of change.

Kosta is a clinical specialist physiotherapist with over a decade of experience in sports medicine and concussion. He has worked in acute neuro hospitals and specialized concussion clinics, treating persistent symptoms. In sports, Kosta collaborated with Chelsea Football Club Academy, Olympic GB diving, Vancouver Bandits Basketball (CEBL), CIS rugby, and ice hockey teams.

Beyond a Physiotherapy degree, Kosta holds a Master's in Sports Medicine from University College London, a FIFA Sports Medicine Diploma, and certifications in Vestibular Rehabilitation and visual-vestibular postgraduate training for concussion rehabilitation from Duke University. His research findings on the effects of fatigue on the vestibular oculomotor screen was presented at BASEM in Leeds in 2018 and the 2023 Concussion Consensus statement in Amsterdam.

We break down the modern assessment toolkit—VOMS, force plates, reaction time training, neurocognitive scores, and cervical motion mapping—and why baselines matter when pressure mounts. You’ll hear how to test under fatigue to expose hidden deficits in reaction time and visual motor speed, and why neck strength is a keystone that only works when vestibular and ocular systems are trained alongside it. We get practical about exercise timing too: relative rest for 24–48 hours, then progressive aerobic work that raises brain-derived neurtrophic factor (BDNF), stabilizes the autonomic system, and reduces fear-based immobility. For sedentary listeners, microdosing workouts and “never miss twice” habits create momentum without flare-ups.

We also zoom out to the culture of concussion care: the gap between North America and Europe in awareness and access, the role of rule changes in rugby, and how youth and grassroots programs need better education. Throughout, the theme is consistent—return to performance requires objective data, deliberate progressions, and a team approach that meets people where they are. If you’re an athlete, a parent, a clinician, or someone rebuilding life after impact, this conversation gives you clear steps and smarter standards for safer returns.

If this

Get 20% off your first order of Puori protein with code LIFEAFTERIMPACT by following this link.

Support the show

Dr. Wolf's book Concussion Breakthrough: Discover the Missing Pieces of Concussion Recovery is now available on Amazon!

What topics do you want to hear more about? What questions do you have? Email us at lifeafterimpact@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram @lifeafterimpact

Website: lifeafterimpact.com

Medical disclaimer: this video or podcast is for general informational purposes only, and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advice. No doctor patient relationship is formed. The use of this information and materials included is at the user's own risk. The content of this video or podcast is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice diagnosis or treatment. Consumers of this information should seek the advice of a medical professional for any and all health related issues.

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If “migraine” meds aren’t touching your headaches after a concussion, you might be chasing the wrong problem. Dr. Wolf sits down with Dr. Adam Harcourt, a board-certified functional neurologist and fourth-generation chiropractor, to unpack why post-traumatic headaches so often get mislabeled as migraine—and how objective neuro exams flip the outcome. From eye movement control and gaze stabilization to neck proprioception and autonomic integrity, Dr. Harcourt explains the tests that reveal brainstem dysfunction you can actually measure rather than guess.

You’ll hear a powerful case: a 10-year-old with “intractable migraine” that failed multiple hospital treatments until one overlooked detail surfaced—a basketball to the face the day before symptoms began. With targeted visual-vestibular and cervical work, her pain cleared within days and she returned to school and dance. That theme of foundations-first threads through the hour: build basic stability before intensity, or great rehab stalls. We share simple, surprising tools too—like rhythmic ear insufflation that can abort some migraines in minutes; sublingual ginger oil (Migraine Ginger Relief - MGR) that reduces reliance on triptans; and MQ7, a comprehensive migraine nutrient formula that streamlines evidence-based prevention without a cupboard full of bottles.

We also tackle the big lifestyle levers without fluff. Caffeine: cutting down rarely helps; going to zero often does, because caffeine raises neuronal hyperexcitability. Diet: most people have sensitivities, not instant triggers, and a short, structured reset—including high-histamine foods—clarifies the few that matter. For medication overuse, we map a path out of rebound by lowering allostatic load and widening the “bucket” so weather swings, hormones, and daily stress don’t overflow into attacks. And if your symptoms look like vestibular migraine, hemiplegic migraine, or even “abdominal migraine,” you’ll learn how the same hyperexcitability model guides customized rehab for balance, facial motor, and lower brainstem pathways.

If you’ve felt dismissed, bounced between triptans, Botox, and endless supplements, this conversation gives you a practical framework, specific tests to request, and at-home strategies to try now. Subscribe, share with someone stuck in the migraine maze, and leave a review to help more people find clear, evidence-informed care.

Dr. Adam Harcourt: Clinic Website

Instagram: @migrainedoctors

Biogenic Nutrition:

Get 20% off your first order of Puori protein with code LIFEAFTERIMPACT by following this link.

Support the show

Dr. Wolf's book Concussion Breakthrough: Discover the Missing Pieces of Concussion Recovery is now available on Amazon!

What topics do you want to hear more about? What questions do you have? Email us at lifeafterimpact@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram @lifeafterimpact

Website: lifeafterimpact.com

Medical disclaimer: this video or podcast is for general informational purposes only, and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advice. No doctor patient relationship is formed. The use of this information and materials included is at the user's own risk. The content of this video or podcast is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice diagnosis or treatment. Consumers of this information should seek the advice of a medical professional for any and all health related issues.