What Is a Concussion? Understanding Causes, Symptoms, and Recovery Tips
A concussion is a form of traumatic brain injury that doesn’t show up on imaging despite your feeling like you got run over by a truck. Even though you can’t see it, what you feel is real!
What is a Concussion and How Does It Affect the Brain?
Basically, your neurons get stretched and sometimes break causing a neurometabolic cascade that disrupts communication between the neurons and the brain. Your brain goes into crisis mode as excess energy is required to bring your cells back to equilibrium. This disrupts blood flow to your brain which makes it harder for your brain to get energy resulting in a plethora of symptoms that is unique for each brain. Common symptoms that people feel include: Difficulty thinking clearly/slowed thinking; Poor focus and concentration; Forgetfulness and difficulty remembering new information; Feeling irritable or overwhelmed; Feeling depressed or anxious; Headaches; Difficulty seeing or reading, blurred vision; Nausea; Dizziness; Light and/or noise sensitivity; Balance and coordination problems; Fatigue and low energy;Abnormal sleep.
What Happens to the Brain During a Concussion?
Because so many of the neurons need energy at the same time, a huge energy deficit develops. Blood to flow to your brain is disrupted making it more difficult for your brain to get energy. This neurometabolic cascade is unique to each individual which is why presentation can vary so much. Concussion rehabilitation focuses on rebuilding neuronal pathways and forming new ones through relearning patterns. Just because you can’t see damage on imaging, your concussion symptoms are real, and the best news is that they are treatable!
How Physical Therapy Supports Concussion Recovery: What You Should Do Next
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”. You absolutely can get better by participating in an integrative concussion rehabilitation program and “waiting” for them to go away will only make them 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. This online program provides a systematic approach to help people recover from post concussion symptoms. 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
Further Reading:
The Role of Nutrition Supplements in Concussion Recovery
How to Manage Screen Time After a Concussion for Faster Recovery
Traumatic Brain Injury Vision Problems: Common Symptoms and How TBI Vision Problems Are Treated
