The Role a Head Injury Specialist Can Play in Helping Many Rodeo Athletes

Not all injuries that rodeo contestants face can be fixed with an ace wrap or a brace.

Dr. Alison Bremner (right)/ Atlas Chiropractic of Boulder

Anyone who’s spent time in the rodeo world knows injuries come with the territory. You get bucked off, stomped on, tossed around... it’s all part of the ride. Most of the time, you shake it off, maybe wrap a sprain or deal with a broken bone. But head injuries? That’s a whole different ball game.

Concussions are sneaky. You might walk away from a fall feeling okay, only to wake up days later with pounding headaches, dizziness, or a brain that just won’t fire the way it used to. Some folks struggle to sleep. Others feel stuck in a fog. And the worst part? There's no clear roadmap to feeling better.

A lot of doctors will hand out prescriptions for pain or sleep but living off pills isn’t exactly appealing. And for many athletes, that approach barely scratches the surface.

Head Injury Specialist

That’s where people like Dr. Alison Bremner come in.

Dr. Bremner is the owner and chiropractor at Atlas Chiropractic in Boulder, Colorado. She specializes in something called upper cervical chiropractic, which focuses on the very top of the neck, right where the skull and spine meet. It might sound small, but it’s a big deal when it comes to how the brain and body talk to each other.

Dr. Bremner knows the athlete mindset firsthand. She grew up playing sports and competed at the college level in basketball, so she gets what it’s like to push your body and deal with the aftermath. Rodeo athletes like to do this more than others.

What she offers isn’t a magic fix, but it’s helped a lot of people start to feel like themselves again. Instead of relying on medications, she uses gentle adjustments and a detailed look at how the body is functioning to get things back in balance. Many of her patients come from across the country, some even from overseas, because they’ve seen results when nothing else worked.

Atlas Chiropractic

Dr. Bremner says, "Many people have been told that their injuries are symptoms and are just things they have to deal with. That is simply not true! Never underestimate the body's ability to heal given the right circumstances. You CAN go back to living the life you desire."

Rodeo folks are tough. They’re used to pushing through pain. But when it comes to head injuries, the “tough it out” mentality can only go so far. For anyone who's been battling the long-term effects of a concussion, especially when it feels like nobody’s listening, there are other options out there.

Sometimes healing doesn’t come in the form of a prescription. Sometimes it starts with the right person, asking the right questions, and knowing where to look. There is a chance for relief instead of contestants dealing with chronic issues their entire life after a head injury.