Concussions are a very common injury; however, they can present in many different ways and be difficult to treat, which makes concussion a less-understood injury, even by medical professionals. A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that is typically a result of a mechanical force to the head or neck. Falls, sports injuries, motor vehicle accidents, and work injuries are common causes of concussion.
More than “Just a Headache”
While complaints of headaches are often very common, concussions are far more complex than a simple bump on the head. There are many different symptoms and several different systems of the body that may be disrupted. Symptom severity and duration cannot be predicted by the location or force of impact and symptoms may last from days to months, or even years, in some cases.
Some symptoms of concussion include:
- Headache and Neck Pain
- Vertigo, Dizziness, Nausea
- Concentration/Memory Difficulties
- Balance/Coordination Issues
- Fatigue and Exertion Intolerance
- Light/Noise Sensitivities
- Emotional/Behavioral Changes
- Visual Impairments
- Sleep Issues
- And more…
What to do if you have a concussion
A person is considered “concussed” if they have a mechanism of injury (impact to the head, whiplash, etc.) and ANY symptom of concussion. Oregon state law requires that any youth athlete suspected of sustaining a concussion cannot return to play/practice until cleared of concussion by a medical professional (MD, PA, DO).
- Report the injury to parent, coach, athletic trainer, supervisor immediately.
- Be evaluated by a medical professional ASAP (typically urgent care, unless there is an on-site medical professional). They will determine the diagnosis and rule out any more serious issues such as brain bleed, skull fracture, or major neurological damage.
* please note that concussion, by definition, is not a structural damage to the brain and, therefore, there is no imaging that can diagnose or clear a concussion.
- Get a referral to be seen by a concussion specialist ASAP and start treatment! Research shows that getting seen by a concussion rehabilitation specialist within 5-7 days of injury reduces risk of Post-Concussive Symptoms from 40% to 5%.
- For the first 48 hours after a concussion, you should try to minimize the amount of activity and stimulus throughout your day. DO NOT shut yourself in a dark room with no light or movement! But you want to think of those next couple of days as a “lazy Sunday” type of day.
- After the first couple of days after a concussion, and provided that dizziness symptoms are not making it unsafe, you should start trying to go on walks for about 20-30 minutes per day and gradually increase the speed or time as tolerated.
Why are concussions so serious?
While there is conflicting research on the role of concussion with CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), there are other aspects of concussion that make it an injury to take seriously and to allow full recovery before returning to higher-risk activities.
- Risk of Injury: A person is twice as likely to sustain an injury to another body part when concussed.
- Persistent Concussion Symptoms (PCS): Also sometimes referred to as Post-Concussive Syndrome is what a concussion is considered when symptoms have persisted for longer than 3-4 weeks. Once a concussion becomes PCS, symptoms become a lot more chronic and difficult to treat. About 40% of untreated concussions become PCS. When seen by a concussion specialist within the 1st 5-7 days of injury, the number of concussions that become PCS drops to 5%, so early intervention is critical.
- Second Impact Syndrome: A person is 3 times more likely to sustain a second concussion when concussed. A 2nd concussion while still recovering from a previous concussion is associated with more severe and longer duration of symptoms, structural damage, and can even be fatal.
What can Physical Therapy do?
Current evidence shows that a proactive approach to rehabilitation results in better outcomes, getting you back to your favorite activities faster and more completely. Time from injury to seeing a concussion specialist was determined to be the number one factor in decreasing the likelihood of post-concussive syndrome, with the best results observed if rehabilitation can start within the first 5 days of injury. Not all concussions are the same, and they are not always treated the same. Physical therapy provides an extensive evaluation (compared to a baseline if available) to assess which body systems are impacted by the concussion and determine an individualized treatment approach to cater to the patient’s needs and goals. Treatment may include:
- Techniques for headache and neck pain
- Vestibular (vertigo and dizziness) rehabilitation
- Visual therapy
- Balance and coordination training
- Return-to-sport/work/learn protocols
- Relaxation techniques
- Education on lifestyle modifications
- And more…
Finding a Physical Therapist that specializes in concussion care can be challenging. Limitless Physical Therapy has a concussion rehabilitation specialist that is certified by both ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) and Complete Concussion Management Inc. If you are experiencing concussion symptoms, call our office to get scheduled for an evaluation!
**Please note that the advice written in this blog is not meant to take the place of professional medical advice.
Have an injured athlete? Physical therapy might be your child’s most direct route to healing! The staff at Limitless Physical Therapy in Eugene, OR can get them on the fast track to healing and show them how to discover their future without limits. Follow us on Facebook.
