According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans suffer nearly 4 million sports and recreational-related concussions every year, and over a half a million of these concussions involve children. These head injuries can range in symptoms and severity and have a major impact on a person’s life, so it’s oftentimes helpful to connect with a specialist who can keep your recovery on track. One of the best resources for managing a concussion is a physical therapist. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some of the ways a physical therapist can help you overcome a concussion.
Overcoming A Concussion With PT
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that is caused by forceful trauma to the body that results in the head and brain moving in rapid succession. This jarring movement causes the brain to contact the skull, which can damage brain cells and structures. This damage can lead to a range of unpredictable chemical and metabolic changes in the brain and body.
A concussion is a rather unique injury in that symptoms tend to vary more widely from person to person than a more standard injury like an ankle sprain or a shoulder dislocation. One person may experience dizziness and fatigue, while another may deal with sensitivity to light and memory problems. Moreover, symptoms can be physical, cognitive or behavioral in nature and sometimes last for weeks, months or even years, so it’s important to bring in a professional to assist with treatment.
Common symptoms of a concussion include:
- Dizziness/Balance Problems
- Confusion
- Memory Problems
- Fatigue
- Difficulty Concentrating
- Sensitivity To Light/Sound
- Difficulty Sleeping Or Excessive Sleeping
- Mood Changes
- Headaches
If you are experiencing any of these issues after a car accident, sports collision or similar traumatic event, consider heading straight to a physical therapist’s office. Your primary care will likely refer you to a PT, and since no referral is actually required, you can receive treatment quicker by connecting with a physical therapist earlier in the process.
After discussing the incident and your symptoms with a physical therapist, they will likely ask you to perform some baseline tests. These will assess your strength, balance, coordination, fine motor skills and more. This will also help them develop a recovery plan that will help you get back to feeling normal. Some of the treatments they may provide over the course of their care include:
- Vestibular Rehabilitation – Vestibular therapy exercises help patients regain balance and coordination and overcome issues like dizziness.
- Posture Care – Making improvements to a patient’s posture and helping them learn how to make self-corrections when their posture gets out of alignment can help to limit stress and muscle tension in the neck region, which can kickstart or exacerbate concussion symptoms.
- Return To Activity Exercises – Based on your goals, your physical therapist will develop a PT routine that will help you quickly and safely return to work or athletics.
- Symptom Awareness – Our team of therapists will walk you through what an expected recovery timeline may look like for someone with a similar concussion and return to activity goals, and they’ll also explain what symptoms to watch for that suggest you may need more time with your recovery.
- Muscle Strengthening – If head or neck muscles were weakened as a result of your injury, your physical therapist can help strengthen these muscles so that you’re not at an elevated risk for a subsequent head or neck injury.
Without proper care, concussion symptoms can linger or worsen, so make sure you treat your head injury properly so that you can get back to all the normal daily activities you love. For more information, or for help with a different physical issue, reach out to the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today at (612) 339-2041.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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