In the last few years, the causes, symptoms, treatment, and long-term effects of concussions have thankfully been getting much more attention. Let’s first start out with what specifically a concussion is. Concussions are mild traumatic brain injuries that can occur after major blows to the head, car accidents, or falls. They can present with a variety of signs and symptoms, and although many people recover well after a concussion, it is not uncommon for some individuals to experience prolonged effects.
Did you know that dizziness immediately after a concussion is the #1 predictor of a recovery time greater than one month? Given the variety of signs and symptoms, it becomes increasingly important to talk about the six different subtypes of concussions that physical therapists use for diagnosis and treatment of this injury:
- Cognitive or Fatigue Symptoms.
- Ocular Symptoms (Referring to the Eyes).
- Post-Traumatic Migraines.
- Vestibular (Balance) Symptoms.
- Cervical (Neck) Symptoms.
- Anxiety or Mood Alterations.
Let’s break these down since it is possible to experience one or more of these symptoms after sustaining a concussion.
Cognitive or Fatigue Symptoms
Patients with cognitive or fatigue symptoms typically require rest throughout the day and have difficulty with concentrating or living life as it usually was. Individuals in this subtype might also experience difficulties with memory.
Ocular (Eye) Symptoms
Ocular symptoms present as difficulty reading or focusing on things either close or farther away. This can also be present with blurred or double vision.
Post-Traumatic Migraines
Patients with post-traumatic migraines have a difficult time shaking the head pain that comes after their trauma. Symptoms can range from a small headache all the way to an intense migraine that can cause nausea and significant head pressure.
Vestibular (Balance) Symptoms
Vestibular symptoms include dizziness, instability with walking, and difficulty focusing. These symptoms are often tied to some sort of visual disturbance.
Cervical (Neck) Symptoms
A patient with cervical symptoms will have neck pain, limited range of motion, headaches, and dizziness. Many of these symptoms can depend on the way in which the trauma occurred.
Anxiety or Mood Alterations
Anxiety or mood alterations can cause increased emotions of sadness, anger, or nervousness that are out of the patient’s normal behavior. These can also be associated with disturbance in the individual’s sleep.
Treatment
Although some concussions can be resolved with rest, many require treatment from an interprofessional team of medical professionals to get you back to the life you were living before the incident.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There are specific symptoms that when present signal that you should seek emergency intervention as quickly as possible, these include:
- Loss of consciousness without the ability to wake.
- Excessive throwing up.
- Differences in pupil size.
If one or more of these are present, please seek emergency medical attention as soon as possible.
If there are no serious symptoms present, treatment within the first few hours after a concussion will look different than the following two to three days.
Within the first few hours:
- REST.
- Contact the Athletic Trainer if the athlete has one they work with.
Within the first few days:
- Rest and do light activities like walking or the stationary bike.
- Schedule an appointment with a physical therapist familiar with these injuries.
As you can hopefully gather after reading this article, no two concussions are alike. What they do have in common is that their short and long-term effects can be lessened when a solid interprofessional team is involved in the athlete’s care. With Fall sports right around the corner, we encourage you to send this article to any athlete or parent you know who would benefit from the information.
If you or someone you know does unfortunately sustain a head injury, please know that we are only one phone call away and have some of the best physical therapists on staff who are happy to help through the recovery process.