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Parents Are Always Looking for Better Protective Gear—Could This Be the Missing Piece?

Reviewed by: Alison Kilian

Published on: March 13, 2025

Parents Are Always Looking for Better Protective Gear—Could This Be the Missing Piece?

This content was created in collaboration with Q30 and is sponsored.

Teens who participate in sports enjoy all kinds of benefits, from improved physical fitness to an enhanced social network. However, there are always injury risks, especially in high-impact sports. As a parent, you can reduce that risk by investing in the appropriate protective gear for your child’s chosen sports.

Helmets and pads are standard in activities like lacrosse, hockey, and football, but this protective gear doesn’t address all types of impacts. New advancements in protective sports equipment are helping fill the gaps and improve safety.

Understanding Subconcussive Impacts

Most people have heard of a concussion, a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by an impact to the head or body that can result in symptoms like nausea, vomiting, fatigue, drowsiness, headache, ringing ears, and blurred vision 1. However, the damage caused by subconcussive impacts are less widely discussed.

A subconcussive impact refers to a jolt, bump, or blow to the head that does not cause immediate neurological symptoms. Unlike a concussion, which may be caused by a single blow—for example, due to a fall—subconcussive impacts can occur after slight, repetitive, low-level movements 2.

Although these repetitive head impacts may not cause immediately visible changes, they can induce alterations in neural integrity, especially over time. For example, imaging studies indicate that repeated low-level impacts may result in inflammation 3. These physiologic changes can appear even in the absence of immediate symptoms.

Early evidence suggests that there is a connection between repetitive head impacts and functional changes in the brain, from impaired memory and cognitive function to depression. The changes in the brain seen with subconcussion have even been compared to the alterations seen in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s 4.

Even though repetitive head impacts may not present immediate symptoms like a concussion, the long term ramifications are similar. Athletes who participate in contact sports are particularly susceptible to the risks of repetitive head impacts, one reason why sports researchers are especially interested in the field 5. As experts deepen their understanding of the risks associated with repetitive head impacts, athletes and coaches are raising the alarm—and seeking solutions.

How the Q-Collar Complements Existing Protective Gear

The brain floats in a cushioning fluid inside the hard skull. Although a helmet can help protect the brain against trauma, it can’t keep it from moving around inside the skull. You might think of the brain as a yolk inside an uncooked egg. If you shake the egg, the yolk moves. Similarly, severe shaking—or a jolt or blow—can cause the brain to move inside its fluid and bang against the inside of the skull 6.

Currently, protective athletic gear, like helmets and pads, safeguards against external impact. However, helmets and pads can’t prevent internal brain movement. In these instances, equipment like the Q-Collar can help.

The Q-Collar is worn around the neck. It applies light pressure to the jugular veins, slightly increasing blood volume in the head to help minimize brain movement when impact occurs. This added brain stability can help protect athletes in football, lacrosse, hockey, and other contact sports without interfering with their ability to wear other equipment.

What Parents Should Know About the Q-Collar

Clinical research has demonstrated the Q-Collar’s effectiveness at protecting athletes without affecting performance. This research comes from some of the most trusted names in pediatric and adolescent health, including Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital. Independent studies indicate that athletes not wearing the Q-Collar are three times more likely to show evidence of brain tissue changes after one season of play than those who wear the Q-Collar. In 2021, the FDA authorized the Q-Collar as a safe and effective device for athletes aged 13 and older. Since then, over 45,000 athletes have made it a part of their equipment.

This lightweight and noninvasive device is designed to be worn with existing protective gear, not replace it. Professionals in more than 11 sports wear the collar, and it’s approved for use at various levels, from teens to pros. Organizations that have approved the Q-Collar’s use include the National Football League, National Women’s Soccer League, and National Hockey League, with usage also occurring in sports you wouldn’t expect, like volleyball, equestrian and bobsled, among others.

Investing in Added Protection

As awareness regarding repetitive head impacts grows, the athletic community is increasingly recognizing the need for a new era of sports gear. While traditional safeguards like helmets aren’t going anywhere, additional tools—like the Q-Collar—can help add another layer of protection. If your child is an athlete, take the time to educate yourself about these options. When it comes to your young athlete’s well-being, you don’t want to take chances.

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Sources

  1. Concussion. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved February 29, 2025, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/symptoms-causes/syc-20355594 ↩︎
  2. (August 2019). A Fact Sheet for Youth Sports Coaches. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved February 28, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/heads-up/media/pdfs/youthsports/coaches_engl.pdf ↩︎
  3. Nauman, E. A., and Talavage, T. M. (2018). Chapter 24 – Subconcussive Trauma. Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Retrieved February 28, 2025, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780444639547000240 ↩︎
  4. Davenport, E. M. (2016). Subconcussive Impacts and Imaging Findings Over a Season of Contact Sports. Concussion. Retrieved February 28, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6093756/ ↩︎
  5. Ntikas, M. (2022). Repeated Sub-Concussive Impacts and the Negative Effects of Contact Sports on Cognition and Brain Integrity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Retrieved February 28, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9222631/ ↩︎
  6. Wein, H. (May 2013). A Bang to the Brain: What We Know About Concussions. NIH Office of Communications and Public Liaison. Retrieved February 28, 2025, from https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2013/05/bang-brain ↩︎

Alison Kilian

Alison Kilian has been working as a journalist and ghostwriter for 10+ years. She focuses primarily on healthcare topics and has written for a variety of internationally recognized publications and brands, including Forbes Books, ABC News, U.S. News & World Report, and Axel Springer Media House. Kilian has an undergraduate degree in English/cultural studies from McGill University and a master’s in comparative literature from the Freie University in Berlin, Germany.

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