Concussion

Does your concussion limit your daily activities?

Concussion: WHAT IS IT ?

Concussion is a common condition among athletes and road accident victims. It can also occur following a fall or accident, even without any blow or impact to the head, i.e., it is caused by great acceleration and deceleration of the body causing rapid and abrupt movement of the neck and head (Patricios et al 2023).

Concussions can significantly disrupt daily life. Symptoms such as persistent headaches, dizziness and nausea, fatigue, sensitivity to sound or light, and difficulty concentrating often make usual activities such as work, study and social interaction more difficult to manage.

How can Physio help?

According to studies (Zemek et al 2016, Kriz et al 2016, Grubenhoff et al 2016, Ewing-Cobba et al 2018), 50-70% of people recover within 4 weeks.

For this percentage, according to the latest International Conference on Sports Concussion and Consensus Development Amsterdam 2022 (Patricios et al 2023), it is recommended to start physical and cognitive reactivation as early as 2-5 days following the incident. This return to physical activity enables optimal recovery and reduces the chances of persistent symptoms (Grool et al. 2016, Lawrence et al. 2018).

It is therefore important to consider assessment by a physiotherapist qualified in post-concussion recovery in order to implement an action plan that will enable you to return to your full potential.

For those whose symptoms are persistent (>4 weeks), the physiotherapist can assess all the systems (visual-vestibular, cervical, cognitive, autonomic and cardiovascular) that may be affected by the concussion and develop an individual treatment plan to promote recovery. This treatment plan may include, for example, a personalized intensity cardiovascular training plan, cervico-vestibular treatments including manual therapy and visual exercises, static and dynamic balance exercises. And most importantly, effective communication about the recovery process and a mutual exchange of information to help you achieve your goals.

If a serious accident occurs (high-velocity contact with loss of consciousness lasting more than 30 minutes, high-speed motor vehicle accident, or a fall of more than 2 metres), contact emergency services immediately or go to hospital.