133. Progress is Inevitable: Nervous System Healing with Alyssa Chang

Ranjeet Hira, B. Kin is a kinesiologist based in British Columbia, originally from Ontario. He graduated from McGill University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Education in Kinesiology and a minor in Biology. Ranjeet is a practicing member of the BC Association of Kinesiologists and serves on its marketing committee. He is also part of the BC Adaptive Mentorship Network with PainBC. With 18 years of experience working with brain injury survivors, Ranjeet has served as a kinesiologist, rehabilitation therapist, case manager, and team lead. He has assisted clients in their recoveries by providing support with physical, cognitive, and speech deficits.Ranjeet also has personal experience with concussion, having sustained one while playing soccer during university, which fuels his passion for helping others in this field. In this episode of the Concussion Coach Podcast, host Bethany Lewis interviews Ranjeet Hira, a registered kinesiologist with nearly two decades of experience in brain injury rehabilitation. Ranjeet defines kinesiology as the study of human movement, covering anatomy, biomechanics, and physiology, and shares how his lifelong passion for sports led him into the field. Ranjeet opens up about his own concussion sustained in 2003 during an intramural soccer game, describing the symptoms he experienced—dizziness, headaches, migraines, and cognitive fog—and the challenges of managing a demanding academic semester at McGill while recovering. He emphasizes the importance of rest, being gentle with oneself, and celebrating small wins during recovery. The conversation explores Ranjeet's professional journey, including his work with multidisciplinary teams at Neuro Rehab Services and his experience as a rehabilitation coach. He highlights the value of patient-centered, team-based care and discusses the importance of clinician self-care to avoid compassion fatigue. Ranjeet shares five core movement and mindset strategies for concussion recovery: Taking action through ADLs — Using activities of daily living (dishes, laundry, light walking) as underrated forms of therapeutic movement

Joseph Kamerath, MD is a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) physician who trained at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, DC. He served 17 years in the United States Army, including deployments to Afghanistan, Korea, and Abu Dhabi. Dr. Kamerath earned his MBA from Strayer University and holds medical board certifications in PM&R and electrodiagnostic medicine. He has served as Senior Medical Director for Rehabilitation for Intermountain Health, overseeing rehabilitation care across 33 hospitals, 70+ outpatient therapy clinics, five inpatient rehabilitation units, and over 2,100 rehabilitation caregivers. He is also a volunteer board member of the Brain Injury Alliance of Utah. He and his wife, Tammy, have five children, one cat, and 67 nieces and nephews.

In this solo episode of the Concussion Coach podcast, host Bethany Lewis—a neurological occupational therapist and certified life coach—introduces her framework for holistic concussion recovery: The Six Pillars of Concussion Recovery. Drawing on years of experience working with concussion patients, she explains that because the brain impacts every aspect of a person's life, recovery must address the whole person—not just the physiological injury. The six pillars she identifies are:

Barney Davies is a former semi-professional rugby player whose career ended at age 23 — not because of his body, but because of his head. After years of playing through concussions in a culture that told him to "get on with it," he found himself living in post-concussion syndrome with very little support to get out of it. So he built the thing he needed. Barney is now the founder of The Concussion Journey, where he works one-to-one with people around the world who are stuck in post-concussion syndrome, helping them recover physically and mentally. He holds a certification in concussion and post-concussion syndrome guidance from Boston University, and his story was featured in the Rugby Paper under the headline "The Culture of Playing Through Pain Has Got to Stop."

Guest Introduction Ayla Wolf, DAOM, L.Ac. is a functional neurologist and licensed acupuncturist specializing in concussion and brain injury recovery. With a doctorate in acupuncture and Oriental medicine and extensive training through the Carrick Institute in functional neurology, she brings a unique cross-disciplinary approach to helping people heal from post-concussion symptoms. Dr. Wolf is the author of two books: The Concussion Breakthrough (a comprehensive reference guide for understanding and addressing post-concussion symptoms) and The Art of Concussion Recovery (a beautifully written exploration of the emotional and psychological aspects of healing). She is also the host of the Life After Impact podcast, where she continues to educate and inspire people on their recovery journeys. Her clinic is located in Stillwater, Minnesota, where she offers five-day intensive programs for out-of-state patients.