VET S.O.S. — Veteran Transition, Resources & Brain Health

What if your lingering concussion symptoms aren't coming only from your brain—but from an injury everyone missed?

A veteran can have clear scans and still battle headaches, brain fog, dizziness, sleep problems, and hypervigilance years after a mild traumatic brain injury. Army veteran Dr. Chris Slininger believes part of the problem may be that we're examining the brain while overlooking what happened to the neck during the same blast, impact, or concussion.

In this episode, Dr. Slininger breaks down his research into the craniocervical junction and explains why asking "What did the kinetic force do?" may be more useful than simply asking where someone was hit.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Recognize common long-term MTBI symptoms—including headaches, migraines, dizziness, brain fog, cognitive decline, sleep disruption, and persistent fight-or-flight responses.

• Understand why Dr. Slininger believes the upper cervical spine deserves greater attention after blast exposure, concussions, airborne injuries, vehicle accidents, and other high-force events common in military service.

• Learn how neurological communication, blood flow, and cerebrospinal fluid flow factor into his theory about the relationship between the upper neck and brain function.

• Explore the veteran MTBI research he's building—from an initial 10-person pilot to a planned 400-person randomized controlled trial comparing brain-focused and craniocervical interventions, including former NFL players as a comparison group.

About Dr. Chris Slininger

Dr. Chris Slininger is a U.S. Army Reserve veteran who deployed to Kuwait in 2004–2005 and served in both the Engineer Corps and Medical Corps. His exposure to service members dealing with blast-related injuries helped drive his focus toward brain health and the invisible wounds associated with MTBI.

Today, his clinical work focuses on complex neurological conditions and the craniocervical junction. He is leading research examining whether upper cervical correction can affect persistent symptoms associated with mild traumatic brain injury in veterans.

Learn more:
cerebralchiropractic.com
mtbiresearch.com

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Episode Chapters

00:00 — Introduction: Back Pain, Brain Health & the Invisible Wound
03:36 — Dr. Slininger's Army Service and Transition
08:33 — Fighting Red Tape to Continue the Mission
09:31 — How Does the Spine Affect the Brain?
15:07 — What a Concussion Can Do to the Neck
19:38 — Building a Veteran MTBI Research Study
21:36 — Battlefield vs. Playing Field: Veterans and NFL Players
24:28 — Precision Upper Cervical Correction Explained
28:17 — Headaches, Brain Fog, Dizziness & Hypervigilance
31:12 — Dr. Slininger's Own History of Multiple MTBIs
33:18 — Research, Resources & How to Get Involved
35:06 — Closing & Resources

Explore the Full VET S.O.S. Network

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▶ VET S.O.S. Presents: Testimony Strong

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