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Concussion: not just a bump on the head
- By Dr. Penny Domm
- Published 07/21/2008
- Chiropractic medicine
2008 VOL 1, NO 1
Many of us hear the word concussion and can't imagine it ever happening to us. Statistics show that most of us have suffered a mild concussion at least once on our lives but didn't know that the headache we felt after that "fall" meant that we had a concussion. Most concussions are considered mild and resolve within a day or two. Those are the ones that we forget about until 10 years or so later when getting evaluated for "headache" by our physician and the questionnaire asks, "Have you had any serious head trauma?"….. Please note that any and all head trauma is potentially serious.
Concussion is defined as a temporary change in the way the brain works when it is suddenly moved or jarred. Concussion can be mild, moderate and severe. As stated before, most concussions are considered mild and the person can return to regular activity within a very short period of time. It is important to note that the symptoms of a concussion may not appear right away and may last for days, weeks and sometimes months.
The most common symptoms of a concussion are confusion and amnesia, not to mention the localized pain caused by the blow. Headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears (tinnitus) nausea, vomiting and slurred speech are also very common symptoms of concussion.
Some symptoms of concussion may not appear right away. Sometimes hours or days later one may experience mood changes, cognitive disturbances (thinking), sensitivity to light and noise, balance problems and sleep disturbances. If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms after a blow to the head, a serious fall, a motor vehicle accident, bicycle accident, do not hesitate to go to the emergency room. This can be a potentially serious injury and should be evaluated by a professional.
Anyone with a head injury should be checked out by a medical professional. If you or someone you know is knocked unconscious should get immediate care in the emergency room as soon as possible. Prolonged headache, persistent vomiting, seizures and a large bruise on the scalp are warning signs that the injury to the head is serious.
Many of these types of injuries are seen on the playing field. Most of us after a certain age don't find ourselves in this type of situation anymore and never worry about a concussion. In my office, I have seen concussion on many different occasions with many different people, young and old, athlete or not. The most common concussion injury in my office is a motor vehicle accident where the individual didn't even hit his/her head. Let me say that again…. didn't hit their head…… the force at impact during the accident caused "transient" movement of the cervical spine (neck) such that the brain was "shook up" thus creating a "bruise" on the brain. This is a classic mechanism for injury to the brain. Mild concussion is common with this, but a CT of the brain is always done. This test will rule out any bleeding that may go undetected and may cause serious problems down the road.
Other ways of getting a concussion that may not be so obvious are falling on your tailbone, slipping on a stair and landing on your tailbone, slipping and falling on the deck of a pool, a very bumpy ride in a motor boat…….you're getting the picture. This type of concussion stems from landing on your tailbone with such force that the injury is transmitted up your spine into your brain - causing trauma to the brain. You may not feel like you have a concussion from this, but the headache, dizziness, confusion, fatigue, etc…… will be symptoms that arise at some point and need to be addressed.
So, now, with all of this information, you think you have a concussion. What do you do? First thing's first. Get evaluated by a medical professional. If you're diagnosed with a mild concussion, it's very important to follow the short-term directions. You will have a headache, you may have vertigo (dizziness) you may be irritable. DO NOT TAKE ASPIRIN. Aspirin acts as a blood thinner and may cause your injury, in this case, your brain, to bleed. This can create a serious problem. It's better to not take anything for your headache. Ice is always safe. Secondly, have someone nearby that will wake you from sleep every two hours to check to see if your symptoms have worsened. If your symptoms have worsened, you must go to the emergency room. If you are not worsening, be cautious for the next 24-48 hours; no extreme physical activity, low stress situations, etc….. Moderate to severe concussions need to be monitored for a longer period of time. Because this individual may experience "mild" symptoms like headache, dizziness, vertigo, etc, there may be intermittent vomiting, nausea, amnesia (short term memory loss) loss of balance, loss of reflexes, etc…. this will become important if you or the one with a concussion is trying to navigate a car, go up and down stairs, run, etc…… I don't think any of us want to experience an episode of amnesia, dizziness, poor balance when walking down a flight of stairs. Another hard fall may change the diagnosis of a mild concussion to a severe concussion needing immediate medical attention.
Rest is the best technique for recovery after a diagnosis of concussion. Depending on the severity of the concussion, recovery will take anywhere from a few days to sometimes months to fully recover. Post concussive syndrome is a syndrome that causes the concussion symptoms to last for months. Consistent treatment during these months is imperative. Concussions also pre-dispose you to having seizures within five years after the concussive episode. Multiple concussions can lead to neurological damage which also needs to be monitored. Evidence of this is shown with professional boxers, i.e. Mohammed Ali and professional football players who have had multiple concussions.
To minimize the risk of experiencing a concussion, make sure you're wearing a helmet when you ride a bike, snowboard, ski, ride a motorcycle, skateboard, etc. Make sure that you're wearing your seatbelt at all times. Keep your hallways, stairways and rooms well lit when at home. Protect small children from sharp corners/edges and block off stairwells. Install window guards. Wear sensible shoes and be aware of signs that tell you the floor you're on is wet.
As you can see, "concussion" is not just a bump on the head. If you have any questions regarding this issue, please don't hesitate to ask a medical professional. You can never be too safe.
-P Domm, DC, ATC
Many of us hear the word concussion and can't imagine it ever happening to us. Statistics show that most of us have suffered a mild concussion at least once on our lives but didn't know that the headache we felt after that "fall" meant that we had a concussion. Most concussions are considered mild and resolve within a day or two. Those are the ones that we forget about until 10 years or so later when getting evaluated for "headache" by our physician and the questionnaire asks, "Have you had any serious head trauma?"….. Please note that any and all head trauma is potentially serious.
Concussion is defined as a temporary change in the way the brain works when it is suddenly moved or jarred. Concussion can be mild, moderate and severe. As stated before, most concussions are considered mild and the person can return to regular activity within a very short period of time. It is important to note that the symptoms of a concussion may not appear right away and may last for days, weeks and sometimes months.
The most common symptoms of a concussion are confusion and amnesia, not to mention the localized pain caused by the blow. Headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears (tinnitus) nausea, vomiting and slurred speech are also very common symptoms of concussion.
Some symptoms of concussion may not appear right away. Sometimes hours or days later one may experience mood changes, cognitive disturbances (thinking), sensitivity to light and noise, balance problems and sleep disturbances. If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms after a blow to the head, a serious fall, a motor vehicle accident, bicycle accident, do not hesitate to go to the emergency room. This can be a potentially serious injury and should be evaluated by a professional.
Anyone with a head injury should be checked out by a medical professional. If you or someone you know is knocked unconscious should get immediate care in the emergency room as soon as possible. Prolonged headache, persistent vomiting, seizures and a large bruise on the scalp are warning signs that the injury to the head is serious.
Many of these types of injuries are seen on the playing field. Most of us after a certain age don't find ourselves in this type of situation anymore and never worry about a concussion. In my office, I have seen concussion on many different occasions with many different people, young and old, athlete or not. The most common concussion injury in my office is a motor vehicle accident where the individual didn't even hit his/her head. Let me say that again…. didn't hit their head…… the force at impact during the accident caused "transient" movement of the cervical spine (neck) such that the brain was "shook up" thus creating a "bruise" on the brain. This is a classic mechanism for injury to the brain. Mild concussion is common with this, but a CT of the brain is always done. This test will rule out any bleeding that may go undetected and may cause serious problems down the road.
Other ways of getting a concussion that may not be so obvious are falling on your tailbone, slipping on a stair and landing on your tailbone, slipping and falling on the deck of a pool, a very bumpy ride in a motor boat…….you're getting the picture. This type of concussion stems from landing on your tailbone with such force that the injury is transmitted up your spine into your brain - causing trauma to the brain. You may not feel like you have a concussion from this, but the headache, dizziness, confusion, fatigue, etc…… will be symptoms that arise at some point and need to be addressed.
So, now, with all of this information, you think you have a concussion. What do you do? First thing's first. Get evaluated by a medical professional. If you're diagnosed with a mild concussion, it's very important to follow the short-term directions. You will have a headache, you may have vertigo (dizziness) you may be irritable. DO NOT TAKE ASPIRIN. Aspirin acts as a blood thinner and may cause your injury, in this case, your brain, to bleed. This can create a serious problem. It's better to not take anything for your headache. Ice is always safe. Secondly, have someone nearby that will wake you from sleep every two hours to check to see if your symptoms have worsened. If your symptoms have worsened, you must go to the emergency room. If you are not worsening, be cautious for the next 24-48 hours; no extreme physical activity, low stress situations, etc….. Moderate to severe concussions need to be monitored for a longer period of time. Because this individual may experience "mild" symptoms like headache, dizziness, vertigo, etc, there may be intermittent vomiting, nausea, amnesia (short term memory loss) loss of balance, loss of reflexes, etc…. this will become important if you or the one with a concussion is trying to navigate a car, go up and down stairs, run, etc…… I don't think any of us want to experience an episode of amnesia, dizziness, poor balance when walking down a flight of stairs. Another hard fall may change the diagnosis of a mild concussion to a severe concussion needing immediate medical attention.
Rest is the best technique for recovery after a diagnosis of concussion. Depending on the severity of the concussion, recovery will take anywhere from a few days to sometimes months to fully recover. Post concussive syndrome is a syndrome that causes the concussion symptoms to last for months. Consistent treatment during these months is imperative. Concussions also pre-dispose you to having seizures within five years after the concussive episode. Multiple concussions can lead to neurological damage which also needs to be monitored. Evidence of this is shown with professional boxers, i.e. Mohammed Ali and professional football players who have had multiple concussions.
To minimize the risk of experiencing a concussion, make sure you're wearing a helmet when you ride a bike, snowboard, ski, ride a motorcycle, skateboard, etc. Make sure that you're wearing your seatbelt at all times. Keep your hallways, stairways and rooms well lit when at home. Protect small children from sharp corners/edges and block off stairwells. Install window guards. Wear sensible shoes and be aware of signs that tell you the floor you're on is wet.
As you can see, "concussion" is not just a bump on the head. If you have any questions regarding this issue, please don't hesitate to ask a medical professional. You can never be too safe.
-P Domm, DC, ATC
