Concussion
Healing After a Concussion: Diagnosis and Treatment
A concussion is also called mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), commonly due to a mild blow to the head or by biomechanical forces.
This may result in facial nerve pain, a loss of consciousness (or not), leading to a sense of blacking out or temporary cognitive symptoms. Concussions are commonly sustained injuries in car accidents, sports, and recreational activities. Even a careful driver or sports player faces a common risk of this head injury.
While concussions are classified as a trauma to the brain, a person’s body may be impacted also and need assessment. A professional should conduct a thorough cognitive and physical examination for the initial concussion diagnosis. The best concussion recovery plan is based on this double-focus foundational exam. If you experienced a recent concussion or have lingering symptoms, you need to rehabilitate your brain to help rebuild to help rebuild to your physical activity levels.
The person who initially takes adequate initial steps, such as getting a medical concussion assessment, and adhering to proper recovery protocols, may find that the concussion resolves itself. However, when symptoms persist for longer than four weeks, you may have Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS).
What is a concussion syndrome?
While a concussion is a mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI), post-concussion syndrome (PCS) is a group of symptoms that can occur after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) when symptoms manifest longer than expected. It can impact many aspects of daily life, including physical, mental, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional aspects.
Can a concussion make your face hurt?
Yes, having a concussion may cause facial pain, which is a common symptom of post-concussive syndrome. This type of facial pain can feel similiar to sinus pain and radiate around your eyes, forehead, temples, and bridge of your nose. It can also cause pain in the jaw and muscles of the head, neck, and shoulders.
Temporomandibular joint disorder, which is an injury to the jaw joint and jaw muscles, is a specific healthcare condition that may develop after hitting your head.
What are Common Concussion Symptoms?
Often, the trauma to the brain is minimal enough, so it’s hard to detect using scans or medical imaging. This is why concussions are commonly diagnosed based on assessing probable symptoms following the physical trauma to the head. The list below is not exhaustive.
Common Concussion Symptoms include:
- Sudden headaches.
- Dizziness.
- Cognitive challenges (examples are brain fog, problems remembering, slower reactions).
- Changes in behavior (examples are being irrational, irritable, loud, or impulsive).
- Drowsiness or needing excessive sleep.
Sometimes symptoms do not show up immediately; an unrelenting headache is typical for others. If you or someone you know has had a concussion, it is best to be observed for several hours after the physical impact.
The best way to reduce your concussion symptoms is to avoid situations known to aggravate them, get sufficient sleep, and eat healthy.
What is Involved in Diagnosing Concussions?
A common connection exists between whiplash injuries and concussions. Your pain specialist will evaluate their shared and similiar symptoms to establish the best approach to treating yourconcussions. The neck area should be assessed as myofascial pain may cause not only headaches, but also dizziness, and could trigger TMD.
In moderate to severe concussion cases, is also advisable to have your cranial nerves evaluated, specifically the trigeminal nerve. A symptom of it being affected may be dizziness. Severe concussion-triggered dizziness after sports injuries or car accidents can require prolong recovery time.
What is Involved in a Neurological Exam Following a Concussion?
A neurological exam after a concussion may include physical tests and cognitive testing to assist in the concussion diagnose. It includes evaluating your brain functions.
Your healthcare pain provider’s’ neurological exam may include checking your:
- Mental status.
- Cranial nerves.
- Vision.
- Hearing.
- Physical strength and sensation.
- Balance.
- Coordination.
- Reflexes.
People who already have a history of headaches and neck problems have increased risks of incurring a concussion. If this is your scenerio, embrace all the necessary steps to minimize your chance of experiencing a concussive injury. If you already have a pain practitioner, keep all of your follow up appointments and excercise maintaine programs. Oral appliance therapy may decrease the possibility of incurring an mTBI or an underlying TMD problem.
Should I avoid all physical activity after a concussion?
The extent of your head injury and overall physical health will be taken into consideration when establishing what type and amount of physical activity is good after a concussion.
Individuals who maintain moderate physical activity on a weekly basis have a better recovery rate. Working with a pain specialist to help manage your level and frequency of physical activity while recovering from a concussion will help prevent you from overexerting yourself. If your head and neck have not sufficiently recovered, too much or intense physical activity may actually jeopardize your recovery.
Steps in recovery from sports-injury-triggered concussions:
- Physical activity limited by when symptoms activate.
- Start slow with light aerobic exercise.
- Limit your exercise to sport-specific needs.
- Engage in only noncontact training drills and sports activity.
- Next, ramp up to full-contact practices.
- When you have medical clearance, meaning you are completely free of concussion symptoms, return to full sports engagement.
What to do when concussion symptoms occur in athletes
It is important to STOP playing and rest. Never return immediately to play or vigorous activity directly after a concussion. Brain and pain experts recommend that adult, child, and adolescent athletes with concussions not return to play on the same day as the injury, or at least not for several hours.
Even if a concussion is only suspected, experts recommend not returning to activities that can put you at risk of another concussion. Get checked out first. When to gradually return to physical activity is an individual decision and depends on your symptoms. However, it’s important to remember that a concussion, as well as a probable concussion, should always be supervised by a healthcare professional. This professional guidance ensures that you are on the right track to recovery and minimizes the risk of further injury.
Why might a concussion be a severe issue?
A concussion is a temporary disruption of the brain’s normal function, which should always be taken seriously. While they’re usually not life-threatening, concussions may have serious consequences, especially if left untreated.
“There is a potential for tearing of blood vessels, pulling of nerve fibers, and bruising of the brain. Sometimes, the blow can result in microscopic damage to the brain cells without obvious structural damage visible on a CT scan. In severe cases, the brain tissue can begin to swell.” – Concussions: American Association of Neurological Surgeons
Let’s look further at what damage may occur from a concussion.
- Short-term potential effects: Headaches, confusion, disorientation, memory loss, and changes in thinking.
- Long-term potential effects: Post-concussion syndrome, which can last for weeks, months, or even years.
- Second impact concussion syndrome: A very rare but fatal condition that can occur if a second, severe concussion is sustained before the first one fully heals.
- Permanent concussion damage: Multiple concussions over time can cause permanent structural changes in the brain.
Common Treatments for Post-Concussion Syndrome
Your physical treatment for Post-Concussion Syndrome will be determined by the cause and severity of your concussion. This will determine if you work with a facial pain expert, TMD specialist, physiotherapist, physical therapist, or a chiropractor to support and manage your healing journey.
Treating your jaw muscles can help in relieving headache and neck pain. A physical therapist can provide you with muscle relaxation exercises for your jaw. This may reduce or control the effect of the myofascial on the head and neck following a concussion. Better muscle relaxation in this region will support your complete healing.
Blows to the Head Can Trigger Neck Issues
A person’s neck is often affected during a head trauma.
Postconcussive Syndrome can occur after a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) of any severity, but most cases happen in patients with mild TBI. Anyone who suffers from more than one brain injury is at increased risk for PCS and neck pain. Either or both can develop after a concussive event (colliding with another person, falls, car accidents, contact sports, etc) or another closed-head injury.
Primary health care professionals might consider minimum screening to identify postconcussion syndrome in patients following a motor vehicle collision. This is commonly accomplished by administering questionnaires and assessing cranial nerve function, balance, and cognition abilities. Management should then incorporate principles from both whiplash and concussion guidelines and harmonize them with available imaging guidelines for suspected neck and head trauma.
Complete physical, psychological, and cognitive rest for 24-48 hours after trauma to your head is essential. Your mind is a valuable asset, and brain functions must be protected for your entire body to function optimally and brain functions must be protected for your entire body to function optimally. This essential period of rest helps avoid unwanted recovery complications. Subsequent concussions may not be the same. Any subsequent head injury merits careful attention to ongoing symptoms and their triggers.
