The next time you watch a high school, club, college or pro lacrosse game, you may notice players wearing a thin collar around their necks. It’s called the Q-Collar, the first and only FDA-authorized device that helps protect athletes’ brains during head impacts.

“The Q-Collar has given me the confidence to walk on the field and play like myself again knowing it is helping keep my brain protected,” said Michael Sowers, an attackman for the Waterdogs of the Premier Lacrosse League. “I won’t step on the field without it.”

Chrome defenseman Jesse Bernhardt, Athletes Unlimited champion Taylor Cummings, Team Canada’s Dana Dobbie and members of the National Lacrosse League’s New York Riptide also wear the Q-Collar, as do college athletes at Maryland, Princeton and Penn, among others.

Until now, attempts to reduce brain injuries have centered around advancing helmet technology and introducing new helmet subcategories. The Q-Collar takes a different approach by protecting the brain from inside the body. It’s a safe and simple device worn around the neck that applies light pressure to the jugular veins to reduce the brain’s movement upon impact.

The FDA authorized marketing the Q-Collar as a medical device (while also cautioning that it is not a substitute for other protective sports equipment) in February 2021. The new product became available in the U.S. in September 2021. It’s designed for athletes ages 13 and older who participate in contact sports and experience repetitive head impacts.

Since 2012, the company behind the Q-Collar, Q30 Innovations, has worked with leading medical and academic institutions to research and develop the product. Extensive research, including more than 25 pre-clinical and clinical studies, has validated that the Q-Collar safely and effectively helps protect the brain from repetitive head impacts.

“When I learned about the science and research behind the Q-Collar, it was an easy decision for me to start wearing one,” said Cummings, also a member of the U.S. national team. “It’s one more step I can take to help protect me and keep me on the field.”

Through the Q-Collar, Q30 Innovations is helping create a safer game for lacrosse athletes. For additional information, visit qcollar.com.