A chiropractor in Ottawa is providing concussion treatment for the after-effects of concussions, using a treatment that helped get the NHL’s biggest superstar back in the game.
TREATMENTS FOR CONCUSSION
Vision Therapy
Vestibular Rehabilitation
Transcranial Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Eye Exercises
Somatosensory Evoked Potential
Ear Insufflation
Non-surgical Decompression Therapy
Non-surgical decompression therapy can resolve head and neck pain
Non-surgical Decompression Therapy
Nutritional Recommendations
Auditory Therapy
Laser Guided Proprioceptive Feedback
CONCUSSION, ATHLETES, A CANADIAN DOCTOR & A HOCKEY STAR
Athletes, especially those who participate in contact sports, are prone to concussions. These “mild traumatic brain injuries” feel anything but mild when incurred over and again, or even in a singular event.
Apart from the immediate pain and other symptoms that occur in the immediate hours and days following the injury, the short-term and long-term ramifications of concussion are under increased scrutiny and awareness nowadays.
When athletes’ careers are at stake, such as that of hockey superstar Sidney Crosby, an expedited concussion recovery is vital. To do so, Crosby worked with Canadian Dr. Ted Carrick, the founder of chiropractic neurology, who developed a technique that used balance measurements and eye-tracking and customized exercises designed to make a faster recovery in the areas of the brain damaged by concussions.
CONCUSSION RECOVERY & A RETURN TO WORK, FAMILY & NORMAL LIFE
Sidney Crosby credits the Carrick treatment – which is now offered in Ottawa by Dr. Joseph Lawrence at Broadview Spine & Health Centre – as having saved his career and bettered his life exponentially.
Here at Broadview, Dr. Lawrence uses a number of techniques to treat concussion in the Carrick-Crosby style:
- Videonystagmography to measure how eyes track targets
- Saccadometry, which measures how fast eyes can hit a target
- Posturography, to assess how well the brain maintains balance
These techniques, when combined to address concussions like the one(s) that Sidney Crosby suffered, are considered revolutionary by many. We use these to arrive at a faster & better diagnosis as well as to set out a course of concussion treatment.
THREE TECHNIQUES TO TREAT CONCUSSION
Videonystagmography
VNG measures an involuntary eye movement known as nystagmus. Such movement is often observed as slow or fast, steady or jerky. The eye moves from side to side and/or up & down, or both. The brain receives conflicting info from the eyes, causing balance issues and dizziness.
Saccadometry
Saccades are rapid eye movements. Saccadometry measures these eye movements for latency, accuracy and velocity. Functional neurologists use a device that sits on the bridge of your nose to measure eye movement for a better diagnosis and course of concussion treatment.
Posturography
Computerized dynamic Posturography (CDP) is a means of quantifying balance. It is very helpful when balance needs to be tracked in quantitative terms, to set a benchmark for where balance was at when concussion occurred and then track over time as the patient recovers.
IS THE SIDNEY CROSBY CONCUSSIOIN TREATMENT RIGHT FOR YOU?
You don’t necessarily have to be a superstar athlete to undergo and receive benefits from this concussion treatment. Numerous Ottawa concussion patients have seen Dr. Lawrence here at Broadview, undergoing a sophisticated level of diagnosis and treatment designed with faster and better concussion recovery in mind.
To find out more and get started on your path to healing, contact us today.
Frequently asked questions
Sustaining a single concussion, in many cases, results in a straight-forward recovery with few complications. However, for those who have suffered multiple concussions, especially when the original has not fully healed, the recovery time can grow exponentially. Take care during recovery as while you might feel better, the concussion could still need time to fully heal.
- We utilize quantifiable concussion evaluation tools
- We measure eye movements and balance
- We take care to ensure your recovery is objective, not subjective
A major side effect from sustaining a concussion injury is cervicogenic pain or headaches, which is focused in the neck area. The challenge for doctors is neck pain does not always point to a problem within the neck, but could be a result of spine or eye misalignment.
- Concussions cause eye misalignment, leading to head tilt
- Neck pain is a flag for helping identify contributing issues
- Our treatment is built to help protect your long-term recovery
A common symptom for those who have suffered concussions and experiencing symptoms of post-concussion syndrome includes fatigue. Fatigue can come from many different factors. However, concussions build fatigue symptoms on a cellular level from the damage sustained in a concussion, interrupting your body’s ability to build and use energy.
- Fatigue from concussions is a result from calcium leaks
- Other fatigue could stem from problems with thyroids or anemia
- Fatigue problems can take some time to fully recover from
Post-concussion syndrome is a complex condition that requires a lot of care and time to fully recover from. You could experience significant fatigue, inability to effectively concentrate, headaches, poor balance, and loss of fine motor control. These and more are the result of concussion damage to three major areas in your body, which all require the care our clinic can provide:
- Physical damage the cell wall of the brain
- Damage to the motor systems of the eyes and balance
- Cervucigenic symptoms such as pain in the neck
Broadview Health Centre offers specialized equipment and technology that helps us diagnose problems and treat them effectively in regards to concussions and other mild-traumatic brain injuries. These tools are a mix of physical tests and electrical monitors working in tandem to give evaluations of the body’s control over balance and motor control, giving us invaluable information on a patents condition by:
- Evaluating the body’s ability to balance on flat and uneven surfaces
- Balance when a patents head is turning in various directions
- Building information on how a concussion effects an individual
Broadview Spine & Health Centre utilized state of the art diagnosis equipment to allow us to gain quality information on how to approach treatment to every patent’s unique symptoms. A Videonystagmography allows us to get a fine-tuned reading of eye movements on video and with graphical representation.
- Helps us identify where damage is located in the brain
- Helps develop a customized program for the patient
- Provides conclusive evidence for brain injury symptoms