Post-Concussion Autonomic Dysfunction
Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction (aka Dysautonomia) is a condition that commonly occurs after a concussion and can play a major role in lingering post-concussion symptoms. Essentially the body is unable to appropriately regulate heart rate and blood pressure during movement and activity/exercise and the sympathetic nervous system goes into overdrive creating a number of symptoms.
Autonomic Dysfunction (aka Dysautonomia) following concussion is very prevalent and widely overlooked in many rehabilitation programs. Symptoms that can often be attributed to ANS dysfunction are abundant and can be incredibly debilitating, particularly if not addressed early. Over time, if the root of these symptoms is not treated they will become worse.
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates a host of involuntary processes throughout the body. Some examples include heart rate, blood flow, breathing, digestion, and physiological threat response. It’s in charge of your “fight or flight” (sympathetic) reaction, along with your “rest and digest” (parasympathetic) state.
The parasympathetic system (“rest and digest”) connects to other parts of your body through a handful of closely-clustered cranial nerves (nerves near the top of your spine where it joins the skull).
The sympathetic system (“fight or flight”) has clustered connections throughout the cervical spine. This clustering is why some sections of the ANS can become dysregulated while others are fine. Here are the common symptoms of ANS dysfunction:
Here is a picture of the normal role of the Parasympathetic and Sympathetic nervous system on the body:
Normally, the body functions in a balanced state, called homeostasis. But when there is an acute stressor, such as stumbling across a mountain lion, it shifts to the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight).
During this shift, the body shuts down some normal, but crucial, functions for a short period of time, (ie reproduction and digestion) so that it can fully focus energy on protecting the body from the life-threatening stressor. Once the body has dealt with the acute stressful event, it shifts to the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). Eventually, the body shifts back to homeostasis (autonomic balance).
When a large amount of stress continues over a long period of time, the body gets stuck in sympathetic overdrive and grows accustomed to such an ongoing cycle of intense stress that it doesn’t naturally shift back to the parasympathetic nervous system. A body in sympathetic in overdrive may look like this:
A person with chronic stress is in a constant state of fight-or-flight mode, where some or all of their autonomic functions are shut down, eventually leading to or triggering the many painful and debilitating aforementioned issues with the body.
All of these symptoms — that are the actual functions of the Sympathetic Nervous System — can eventually be prevented if one can shift out of Sympathetic overdrive and into balance to restore normal functions.
There is a very specific protocol for treating autonomic dysregulation that consists of heart rate specific exercise training. If you have post concussion symptoms please do not try to persevere or suffer through them. Please do not listen to anybody who tells you that that is how you are supposed to feel after hitting your head or that they can only be “managed” and not “treated”. Concussion headache and dizziness are never “normal”. You absolutely can get better by participating in an integrative concussion rehabilitation program. “Waiting” for concussion symptoms to go away will only make you feel worse and result in longer treatment times.
The most effective way to treat concussion symptoms is to perform specific exercises that are designed to retrain your brain and body to function efficiently. Specifically there are 5 systems these exercises will retrain:
The Neck
The Visual System
The Vestibular System
The Autonomic Nervous System
The Cognitive System
Properly retraining each of these systems will help your brain and body to heal so that you can get back to being you and doing the things that you love to do.
To learn more about what is a concussion, concussion management strategies, and the specific physical therapy exercises you should be doing to heal your brain and body, visit The Concussion Solution: Master Program. The Concussion Solution: Master Program is an online treatment program that is systematic and based on current research and follows the American Physical Therapy Association’s published clinical practice guidelines of weaving together the different systems that are affected by concussion. You can also visit our clinic in Park City, Utah.
If you would like to learn more about treating your concussion symptoms, please call us: 203 822 2098 or email us at annie@happybrainpt.com
