Concussions are more in the forefront of news and awareness these days. And rightly so. The serious nature of concussion should not be ignored or taken lightly. As more research and data has become available, we now have a better understanding as to the short-term and long-term effects that concussions bring.
Anyone can suffer a concussion, and nobody is immune. Whether you’re an athlete taking a blow to the head or you’ve had a slip and fall while working around the house, concussions do not discriminate with regard to severity nor debilitation. If you or someone has had a concussion – or you suspect that concussion may have occurred – it’s important to know what to look for and how to proceed for treatment.
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
WHAT CAUSES A CONCUSSION
A concussion is most commonly caused by a blow to the head – or some other type of sudden event that ‘jolts’ or ‘bumps’ the skull and causes the brain to move around inside. The domino effect, as it were, is that the brain cells are damaged, undergoing chemical changes and other transformations.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a direct blow to one’s head that initiates the concussion sequence. One can suffer an impact elsewhere in the body, be it a fall or a hit of some sort, that force the head to move suddenly in a ‘jerking’ or harsh manner. Concussions are most often seen in sports injuries as well as car accidents, but can happen in a wide variety of everyday circumstances from children playing, adults walking on ice, falling off a bicycle or ladder, etc.
CONCUSSIONS IN ATHLETES & IN DAILY LIFE
Athletes commonly get concussions – but not just those involved in contact sports. Of course football, boxing and hockey clearly have their pitfalls when it comes to blows to the head. Athletes in other sports – from basketball to cycling to soccer and beyond – are susceptible to concussion due to the fast and frenetic nature of their respective sports.
Concussions are hardly limited to athletes, though. It can happen to anyone. You could be changing a light bulb in the ceiling and take an awkward fall. Your child could have been on the playground with friends in an innocent game and had a fall from height. Or maybe a careless driver ran a stop sign and smashed into your car.
Whatever the circumstance, concussion is not to be taken lightly at al. Don’t be a hero! If you think you or someone you love may have suffered a concussion, it’s important to recognize the signs (as seen on our next concussion resource page) and seek treatment immediately.
A CONCUSSION: VISUALIZED
Impact
A blow to either the head or body initiates the concussion sequence. Brain fluid and protective membranes (meninges) are susceptible to sudden jolts or bumps, triggering a reaction that is traumatic and has lasting effects.
Brain Movement
The brain is pushed against the inner walls of the skulls and can be bruised, while nerve tissue can be stretched or torn in the process. Brain cell function is impaired. Loss of consciousness is also possible.
Brain Injury
Short-term and long-term brain injury can occur with a concussion. Blood flow and oxygen delivery are lessened. Symptoms include headaches, fatigue, dizziness, loss of focus and/or reduced cognitive function as well as light sensitivity.
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