Concussions: How Physiotherapy Can Help?

What is a concussion?

Concussions are a type of brain injury caused by a force/hit or sudden acceleration and deceleration to the head, neck, or body. The major concern is that the forces transmitted to the brain can impair your physical and mental capacities for an extended period of time.

Concussions can cause a variety of unpleasant effects, including:

• Inability to focus.
• Fatigue.
• Dizziness.
• Memory loss and confusion.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Slurring of speech.
• Painful and chronic headaches/migraines.
• Sensitivity to light and sound.
• Ringing in the ears.
• Visual abnormalities.

Although concussions can be debilitating and restricting, physiotherapy can help provide recovery and relaxation. You don’t have to figure out a recovery plan on your own. Expert Physio Plus is here to help you make your way back to feeling your best. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment, and in the meantime, keep reading to learn more about concussions and the benefits of therapy for relief.

Should I rest after receiving a concussion?

Having a proactive approach to concussions will lead to the best outcomes, but unfortunately, some people suffering from concussions will be instructed to rest. Research on concussions is evolving and as we continue to learn, we are realizing that not only does prolonged rest not work; it can actually make you feel worse in the long run.

While it is true that during the early stages following injury, moderate rest is still important, but doing nothing but rest may be creating worse outcomes for people suffering from concussions. This is why choosing the right physiotherapist to guide you through the process is critical!

How can someone benefit from physiotherapy for a concussion?

There are specific tests and treatments that our physiotherapists can guide you through to get you safely back into your normal life activity.

1. Exercise Therapy

Researchers have demonstrated complete resolution of the symptoms associated with concussion through a graded exercise program alone. There are even some indications that exercise might even help speed recovery in the early stages after concussion!

It is important to see a physiotherapist that knows how to guide you through a program that is tailored to your specific needs. Testing must be done first to establish setpoints as well as to help determine your specific program. Physiotherapists are the musculoskeletal experts and understanding when to modify your exercises is essential for your success.

2. Manual Therapy & Neck Rehab

When a person sustains a concussion, they most likely have also experienced whiplash. Research has shown that the acceleration required to cause a concussion is more than necessary to cause whiplash, so we know those with concussions also have traumatized the muscles and joints of the neck. In fact, a study found that 100% of the time, these injuries happen together!

It can be difficult to figure out what symptoms are coming from the concussion and what is coming from whiplash as they are often exactly the same. Some commonly experienced symptoms of both conditions are as follows:

• Headaches
• Cognitive and emotional problems
• Balance problems
• Dizziness
• Eye movement control problems
• Brain blood flow abnormalities

The ideal way to identify what symptoms are coming from the neck or a concussion is by visiting with a skilled therapist.

3. Vestibular and Visual Rehab

Dizziness is one of the most common ongoing complaints of patients with persistent symptoms. This may be due to a number of overlapping issues such as problems with the balance centers of your brain, your visual system, and/or problems with the muscle and joint sensors of your neck.

Your PT will assess each of the systems and how they may interact. Following a thorough assessment of these areas, a proper rehabilitation program can be set up.

The research on rehabilitation for these areas is extensive with numerous studies showing resolution of dizziness and visual abnormalities with a fairly short course of physiotherapy treatment.

Following your diagnosis, your recovery plan will be established, taking into account the seriousness of your illness as well as any symptoms you might be having.

Your physiotherapist will design a care schedule that is tailored to your individual conditions for rehabilitation and help you return to your daily activities.

Find relief today; contact our clinic for an appointment

Concussions are a significant issue, and our physiotherapists are committed to assisting you in recovering. If you have had a concussion, make an appointment with one of our physiotherapists right away.

They are experts who are skilled in concussion management and can help you to feel your best in no time. Rest assured that at Expert Physio Plus, you’re 100% supported in your journey to getting better!

We’ll get you started on the initial steps toward developing your recovery plan and achieving your objectives towards a stable and sensible return to activity!

Visit our clinic in Gloucester, ON today!

Read our blog post on how physiotherapy can put an end to you living in pain by clicking here!