Concussions are serious injuries caused by a sudden blow to the head. While it may appear short and not very serious (for example, when you have a slip and fall accident), in reality, the aftermath of the event is qualified as traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this article, we will discuss a non-invasive approach to treating this injury: chiropractic for concussions.
What Happens during a Concussion?
You cannot feel it, but the brain does not take up the entire volume of the skull. Thus, when you suffer a sudden bump to the head, inertia causes your brain to move quickly backward and forward inside the skull. This may lead to physical or chemical changes in the structure of your brain.
Also, if your neck also jerks suddenly, the cervical vertebrae (which support the head) may be effectively pushed out of their alignment. Thus, depending on the type of injury, a concussion can be mild or severe.
Concussion Symptoms Don’t Appear Instantly
Many patients seek chiropractic for concussions days or even weeks after the incident. This is because some symptoms will manifest themselves later on. The immediate symptoms are physical:
• Headaches
• Blurry vision
• Sensitivity to light and noise.
• Head pressure
• Nausea and/or vomiting.
Cognitive symptoms are indications of a severe concussion and set in days later. They may be:
• Lack of concentration
• Slurred speech
• Memory loss
• Confusion (mental fog).
Patients with concussions should see a chiropractor as soon as possible after the incident to get the help they need. Concussion symptoms will take a long time to go away without treatment and may leave you with a form of disability (including problems with taste and smell and personality changes).
How Chiropractic for Concussions Works
When you see a chiropractor for concussion symptoms, the first thing they will do is perform a physical exam on you. If you were not taken to the ER for initial tests after the incident that caused your injury, the chiropractor may refer you for an X-ray.
It is extremely important to know exactly what part of your head and neck you injured. Chiropractic for concussions is not a standard procedure, but a personalized set of techniques that differ from case to case.
Creating Your Personal Treatment Plan
The chiropractor will know what needs to be done to correct the physical cause of your symptoms. Chiropractic for concussions may involve:
• Manipulations to correct misaligned vertebrae
• Spinal decompression
• Massages
• Physical therapy
• Specific therapies using chiropractic equipment.
Why Choose Chiropractic for Concussions?
Your family doctor will probably tell you to rest and take pain medication if you need it. This practically means waiting for the problem to heal on its own – which takes time and may leave you with long-lasting symptoms.
Chiropractic for concussion aims to correct the physical cause of your symptoms, which in most cases is a spinal misalignment in the neck. You may not feel it, but if one vertebra is just one-fourth of a millimeter misaligned, it can interrupt the proper flow of cerebrospinal fluid and the functioning of nerves, exacerbating your symptoms.
Chiropractic for concussions is an effective, safe, and non-invasive treatment of the root cause and the symptoms of this injury. Even if you don’t experience serious physical and cognitive symptoms, find a chiropractor near you in our online directory and go for an initial evaluation!