16/01/2026
🧠Lets talk concussion and why we no longer use mild and severe concussion labels
Research shows that labelling a concussion as mild or severe isn't scientifically supported. It is a common misconception that a concussion is caused by brain bruising, when in reality it is due to a combination of rapid acceleration-deceleration, stretching neurons and short-term chemical and energy imbalances, that often resolve in 22-30 days.
The symptoms that someone experiences with a concussion aren't related to the severity of the injury, but connected to visual and vestibular changes, autonomic dysregulation and altered sensory processing.
Grading systems have become outdated, and were based on impact type, initial symptoms and loss of consciousness. Patients with higher graded concussions sometimes recovered faster than more mild concussions, proving the grading system isn't valid.
Today, the term concussion is used interchangeably with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, merging previous classifications of mild and severe as they describe the same injury mechanism.
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