Role of Physical Therapy in Concussion Recovery, Part 1/2
Concussion awareness has been steadily growing over the past several years, especially in the arenas of contact sports and motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), where forceful impacts to the head are common. Most of the time, a person who sustains a concussion returns to relatively normal within a few weeks, but sometimes symptoms persist for several weeks to months (called post-concussion syndrome, or PCS). While there are many possible avenues for treating PCS, including nutritional changes, light therapy, and supplements (see this string of blog posts for more info), physical therapy can also play a role.
The two major areas where physical therapy can play a role in concussion recovery is in regard to dysfunction in the neck and dysfunction in what’s known as the vestibulo-ocular system (more on that in my next post). While a concussion is typically thought of as a brain injury, the forceful impact of the injury to the head can also cause problems in the neck and structures in the inner ear region.
Types of Neck Dysfunction and Treatment
Let’s start with the neck. There are two primary dysfunctions that occur that can be confused with concussive symptoms: cervicogenic headache and cervicogenic dizziness (cervico = neck; genic = created by). While headaches caused by a concussion itself usually occur on the sides and/or front of the head and typically occur in tandem with feeling in a fog, sensitivity to light, etc., cervicogenic headaches are typically located at the base of the skull and sometimes progress in a “ram’s horn” pattern over the top of the skull to behind the eye (see here for an illustration). There are typically two causes for this: 1) increased tone or spasming in the neck muscles and 2) decreased mobility of the joints in the neck; these two causes are often related and need to be addressed together. Physical therapy can be very effective for treating these problems. We use many hands-on techniques specifically intended to reduce tone in muscles and improve the mobility of the joints in the spine. In addition, dry needling and cupping can be very effective for treating muscle dysfunction, especially in the spine!
The other condition is cervicogenic dizziness. A large percentage of individuals who experience a concussion will experience dizziness. While this is typically due to the effect of the concussion on the brain itself, there are instances, especially when the dizziness does not resolve along with the other concussive symptoms you experience, where the cause is likely dysfunction in the neck. Similar to above, the treatments are very similar: find and treat dysfunctions found in the muscles and joints of the neck. In fact, research has found that approximately 75% of patients with suspected cervicogenic dizziness improve with physical therapy.
Summary
Many people experience prolonged neck pain, headaches, and dizziness after a concussion. While this is sometimes explained by the concussion itself, the problem can often be traced back to dysfunction in the neck. Physical therapy has been proven to be effective for treating these problems. If you are suffering from prolonged symptoms following a concussion, physical therapy might be just what you need to get back in the game!
Western Slope Rehab and Performance is Here to Help
If you are struggling with injuries or have recently been in a motor vehicle accident, we can help. We are a physical therapy company that provides home-based orthopedic services in the Grand Junction, CO, area, as well as telehealth appointments throughout Colorado. If you would like to schedule a free consultation, you can call us as 970-462-9177, or fill out our contact form here.
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