Concussion treatment
Just as every human brain is unique, concussion is unique in the way it affects the function of the injured person. The symptoms of concussion will vary, depending on things such as the region of the head injury, the force of the impact and any pre-existing conditions.
In the event of a head injury, the initial step is to ensure the safety of the person injured. This requires an immediate assessment by an educated person, and then decisions around the need for brain scans and potentially a visit to the emergency department. Once there is no risk of complications, there is usually a need for rest, followed by the introduction of therapy and some light aerobic exercise.
It is not possible to predict the recovery time of a concussion, however, certain pre-existing conditions such as headache and depression are associated with longer recovery times.
There are several categories to the symptoms of concussion (see blog link for categories of concussion) and therefore the treatment for each unique presentation is guided by the primary category of problems. For example, if the most debilitating symptoms are dizziness and vertigo , then the primary treatment should target the vestibular system. If the primary symptoms are headaches and neck pain, treatment should be aimed at correcting the neck problems and relieving the headaches.
The diagram indicates the subtype categories of symptoms, and in reality, there are often symptoms from many, if not all categories, requiring a variety of treatments and a team of therapists. Listed below are the many professionals that could be involved in a concussion treatment:
- Sports Medicine specialist
- General practitioner
- Neuropsychologist
- Psychologist
- Allied health eg physiotherapist, chiropractor
- Vestibular therapist
- Nutritionist / Dietician
- Exercise physiologist
- Naturopath
- Acupuncture
- Neuro-optometrist
- Optometrist
- Neurologist
- Ear nose throat specialist
- Functional integrative practitioner
- Occupational therapist
- Social worker
- Lawyer
- Case manager
- Insurance company
With so many different symptoms and so many different treatments and specialists, the recovering concussion victim can be easily overwhelmed about where to start and which way to turn.
One thing is for certain – the recovering brain must be the healthiest it can be, with appropriate rest, diet and exercise. There are several lifestyle factors which should always be considered first and foremost.
SLEEP – without good sleep, your recovery will be slow
STRESS – continuous stress will impair your capacity to heal
ALCOHOL – alcohol and toxic drugs will irritate the brain
EXERCISE – exercise has profound benefits to healing
DIET – what you eat will influence how you recover
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that your brain may not be able to cope with as much as it did before – you may need to take things a little slower than usual. Don’t book too much into the day. Don’t expect your brain to be able to do what it did before, or it will likely burn out and feel exhausted, doing nothing for your recovery! Getting it all right is not always easy, but you’ve never had a better reason to be the healthiest you’ve ever been. How much is your brain worth….?
