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Bruce Parkman on Concussion Prevention Myths, Youth Sports and Protecting the Developing Brain | Broken Brains · Broken Brains with Bruce Parkman

• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: Hey folks, Bruce Parkman here from Broken Brains, doing what I love most, just talking.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: Really appreciate all your support for the podcast and the questions and and the guests that you're recommending.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: We're we're we're we're really just uh picking some amazing people because when it comes to this issue of repetitive brain trauma, there's so many aspects of it.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: We got the you know, veteran side, we got the sports side, we got the children's side, we got uh modalities, assessments, treatments.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: And so, you know, I I just wanted to you know talk to you about something that's just really you know bugging me, you know.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: So we have a lot of people that want to come on the show, believe it or not, right?
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I get I get four or five requests a week to come on the show.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: And people are always asking us, you know, it's like, hey man, take a look at my modality, right?
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: Because as a foundation, you know, everybody's looking for the stamp, and you know, and I appreciate that.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: But we we really do not get involved unless there's something so amazing that we'll let the rest of the world know that this exists.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: And we do have something to talk about in that regard that I just came across.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: But the other day, I got an email from a company that makes gummies, and they claim that their gummies, you know, help prevent the impacts of concussions and make it safe for kids to play contact sports.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I I looked this, and you know that I've I've really, I mean, I've torn apart about every anti-concussive technology device on this podcast because they just don't work when it comes to RHI.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: There's no way to make sports safe for a developing brain.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: There is just no way, except by not playing.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: But what bothers me is that these things are selling.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Parents are buying this, right?
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: And they buy it because they love their children.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, you look at all the ways in which our parental love is, you know, kind of taken advantage of.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, I want to go to college, you know, we go in debt for our kids, and you know, and then they, you know, they go to career, you know, colleges and do their thing, and but they end up in debt anyways, and whatever.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: But we we do anything for our children because that's we love that.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: And so when we see something that could help them, I mean, number one, as a parent, you're recognizing that if you're buying these gummies for your child, that your child's at risk.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: And we're not talking concussions right now, we're talking their future.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: And so, you know, when people come out with these supplements and gummies and all that, and they say that this, you know, that they're basically protecting your child's brain.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Well, they could be from the occasional hit, it could help them heal.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: But when we start talking about repetitive head impacts, and pick your sport, lacrosse, soccer, wrestling, heartbeat, hockey, football, right?
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: By the way, all those sports are in the Boston University CTE rank.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: And all those sports are associated with repetitive head impacts and some concussive trauma.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: That's why there's no baseball players, basketball players, golfers, track stars in there.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: All right?
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's all about the brain.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's all about hitting the brain.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I will say it repetitively is that when the brain starts moving, there is nothing in this universe that can prevent it from doing so.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: You can put a mattress on the head, you know, you can put cushioning, gel impacts.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: The brain is a highly sensitive organ with the consistency of butter, with all those neuronal circuits in it suspended in water, encased in a hard bony structure.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Not the best predicament for brain health.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm sure that when God designed our brain, he probably wasn't planning on football.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: And if he did, he probably wasn't planning on us allowing kids to play it, especially with the knowledge we know now.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: So, anyways, when I got the message, I was slightly perturbed that you, having looked at our podcast and our foundation of what we do, would come up and say, hey, our gummies, you know, prevent, you know, make sports safer, or they they prevent concussions, which is a big part of the problem out there, is this misdirection, misinformation.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: And it's getting fertile ground because of the love of our parents.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: Those seeds sprout, they nurture in the love that we have for our kids.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: Look, I'm telling you straight up, there is no magic cure, no magic pill, no magic technology that will protect your child from the impact of repetitive ed impacts and playing contact sports.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's your call.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: It's always going to be your call.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's why God gave us free will.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: But the evidence, the science and research that this is a serious issue for our children is there and has been there for far too long.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't care what you're looking at, whether it's a gummy or a head wrap, uh, you know, more padding in your chow's helmet, whatever it is, the only way to reduce and eliminate the risk is to not play these sports while the brain's developing.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: Play brain safe, you know, alternatives to them.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: Flag football, no head, uh, no head soccer, no check rugby, touch foot or flag, touch rugby, right?
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: All these are safe.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: All these are ways to have fun, and that's what sports are all about.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: Being active and having fun.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: And it's not about winning.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: All right, winning's fun.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: I got it.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: I've been on championship teams myself, and I and I loved it.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: But I've also lost more championships than I won.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Like a lot more, right?
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: And so, you know, it's not about the win.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's about the child.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: It's about their brain, it's about their health, it's about their future.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: So when it comes to some of these gimmicks, either reach out to us, send them in, we'll take a look at them, right?
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: But uh, you know, the the hard truth is they really don't do too much for you or your child.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: They do nothing at all.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: So I just wanted to throw that out there, give you something to think about whenever you, you know, in your whenever you hear this episode.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: And once again, if you like what you're hearing, please send it around.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: Like, subscribe, you know, send us around in your social network circles, let people know that we don't want to host this podcast.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: We want all this to go away, and one day it will.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: But for right now, this is the only place you're gonna get the truth about contact sports and blast exposure and how it's impacting our kids and our veterans.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: So please stay tuned.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, you know, that book that I had to write because my son's not here.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's just updated, it's for free on our website, www.mpfactfact.org.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: Download it and become informed so that you make an informed choice no matter what it is.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: So remember, and if you have a child, remember they only got one melon.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: Take care of that brain, man.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's all they got, it's all you got, it's your future.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: You don't want to be here.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: We'll see you next time on broken brains.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: God bless.