Concussion Management
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that can affect how your brain functions. A concussion is caused by an acceleration/deceleration force. A concussion does not have to be a hit to the head; it can be any injury that causes the rapid movement of the brain within the skull.
On a physiological level, the tissues inside your brain become tensioned, causing a chemical change and disturbance in equilibrium. When someone is experiencing a concussion, the brain cells become excited and use a lot of energy. This deficiency in energy causes symptoms. There are many different symptoms of a concussion, including headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, feeling foggy, more emotional, irritability, and more.
There are some specific signs that are deemed as red flags- indicative of more serious injury. Please go to the emergency department if you experience any of the following: seizures or convulsions, increasing confusion, unsteadiness in standing or walking, bruising around eyes, odd behaviour, slurred speech, inability to remember the injury, bad nausea or repeated vomiting, worsening headache, unable to wake up, weakness or numbness in arms or legs, or loss of consciousness.
Most concussions resolve within 2-8 weeks of injury. Early intervention with concussion treatment and rehabilitation is one of the most important things you can do to recover timley. There is a lot of misinformation around concussions, which can unfortunately make for a difficult road to recovery. It is important to find a healthcare provider who has post graduate training in concussion management. At Petawawa Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic, several of our physiotherapists are trained and experienced in evidence-based concussion care and management.
While physical and cognitive rest is important in the very early stages (24-48 hours), further, longer term rest is now considered detrimental to recovery. Research shows that sub-symptom threshold physical activity as early as 4-10 days post injury will support recovery. Our health care professionals at Petawawa Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic will work closely with each patient to develop an individual approach to concussion care that may include manual therapy, activity, sleep and diet education, physical, vision and vestibular exercise. The earlier you start post concussion rehabilitation, the better.
