Concussion is a form of traumatic injury to the head with temporary damage to brain function. This type of injury is often referred to as mild traumatic brain injury [mTBI] or mild head injury [MHI] and is one of the most common external injuries in the head and neck region.

In 2013, approximately 2.8 million emergency department visits related to traumatic brain injury occurred in the United States. Modern research shows that the most common TBI mechanisms are:

• Road traffic accident

• decline

• Being hit or hit by an object

Roughly speaking, all concussions can be divided into two categories: sports-related and not related to sports. Although treatments in both cases are generally prevalent, patients with exercise-related concussions often worry about how quickly they can resume training, competitions, and competitions. A major part of TBI functional therapy is to explain the importance of full recovery before returning to physical activity: this is important not only for the health of the patient but also for his or her best physical performance.

What happens during a concussion?

Regardless of the specific mechanism of damage, an impact occurs when the speed suddenly changes dramatically. For example, when the goalkeeper is hit by the head, he gains a huge local acceleration – and the skull is a solid structure, the first person to respond by moving in the direction of the shot.

On the other hand, the brain is a "floating" structure suspended in the cerebrovascular fluid of the skull, so it takes longer to change its direction and speed of movement. Therefore, when a sudden blow to the head is received, the brain is struck by the skull, destroying the local soft tissue.

Similarly, when a person drives a vehicle such as a car or bicycle, a sudden stop [eg due to a traffic accident] will cause a sudden drop in the speed of the initial impact on the skull: for the next moment, the brain will still move in the initial direction, thus hitting The skull.

The resulting damage may include:

• Body: Headache [local and diffuse], nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light and sound, dizziness, seeing shimmering light or flashing stars, blurred vision, tinnitus [tinnitus].

• Emotions and behaviors: depression, anxiety, sleepiness or insomnia, fatigue, irritability.

• Cognition: Memory and attention are impaired, feeling "deceleration" or "fog".

But this is only half the problem. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of concussing patients dying from other medical problems is significantly increased, for example:

• Seizures – a 50-fold increase in risk.

• Accidental drug poisoning – an 11-fold increase in risk.

• Infection – The risk increases by a factor of 9.

• Pneumonia – a 6-fold increase in risk.

This is why the overall treatment of concussion is critical to the long-term health of each patient, as it should not only alleviate the initial symptoms, but also prevent subsequent health problems.

Conventional method for concussion treatment

In treating concussions, most doctors are concerned with the principle of "preventing extra brain damage." This is mainly done by prescription painkillers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [to prevent brain swelling], antibiotics [prevention of infection during recovery], antidepressants and a small number of diuretics [to remove excess fluid]. body]. Although this approach is feasible and brings many benefits, it almost completely misses the non-brain damage caused by concussion, as well as delayed long-term health problems.

Of course, it is better than nothing, but it can hardly be considered end-to-end treatment. Although this treatment is effective in relieving immediate performance, it does not reduce the long-term effects of injury. In other words, patients who choose routine treatment for his or her concussion may have to resort to medical care within a few years of the injury, often without knowing that damage can be avoided long ago. Fortunately, different aspects of functional therapy have proven successful in treating long-term outcomes of traumatic brain injury.

Functional medication for concussion

The human brain attaches to the spinal cord, so the sudden movement of the former inevitably affects the latter. Even if the brain stem suddenly moves by a fraction of a millimeter, the entire body will have various health problems due to the roots of the spine and nerve dislocation.

This is why spine manipulation therapy [SMT] has proven to be very effective as a form of chiropractic treatment in treating cervical trauma events, and cervical trauma events are often accompanied by concussions. In addition to improving long-term results, it also reduces pain, increases range of motion, and reduces local muscle spasms.

Functional medical and chiropractic treatment for concussion was originally published on Spring