American Physical Therapy Association to host series on concussion in sports

As football season gets under way, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) will host a series on concussion in sports called "Head in the Game." The series will air on Move Forward Radio, a program featuring interviews with physical therapists and other health care experts, produced by MoveForwardPT.com, the official consumer information website of APTA. The series begins at 10 am ET on August 27 and ends with a live broadcast on August 29 at 3 pm ET.

In recent years, concussion has permeated sports headlines and captured the attention of concerned parents, athletes and their loved ones, and the medical community. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up to 3.8 million athletes sustain concussions every year. As evidence grows regarding the long-term and often serious neurological effects of concussion, sports and medical experts are speaking out about how to more effectively protect athletes against injury.

The lineup for the "Head in the Game" series is as follows:

• August 27 10 am ET – Chris Miller, NFL quarterback, 1987-95, 1999 -- Miller played 9 seasons for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles/St Louis Rams before repeated concussion forced him to leave the game in 1996. A comeback attempt in 1999 was similarly cut short by concussion. In a prerecorded interview, Miller will discuss his personal history with concussion and talk about various changes the NFL has made to protect players.
•  August 28 10 am ET – Anne Mucha, PT, MS, NCS -- Mucha is a physical therapist at the Center for Rehabilitative Services at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where she specializes in neurovestibular rehabilitation. In a prerecorded interview, Mucha will discuss some of the ways athletes (and those who are not athletes) are tested and treated for concussion, both to return to the playing field and for the benefit of long-term health.
• August 29 3 pm ET – Kevin Guskiewicz, PhD, ATC, FACSM, and Mike Ryan, PT, ATC -- In a live show, Guskiewicz and Ryan will discuss the evolution and current state of concussion management and prevention, and take listener questions. To access the show, listen online or by phone at 646/564-9841. Questions for the guests may be submitted in advance via Twitter by tweeting @MoveForwardPT and using the hashtag #MoveForward, or by calling in to the live show.

SOURCE American Physical Therapy Association