20/08/2024
Picture someone with a concussion. Now imagine what treatment looks like for them. Did you picture a young football player being told to go into a dark room, not sleep, and avoid any activity? If so, you’re not alone. However, we now know so much more about concussion management - it’s more than athletes and avoidance.
Too many people have gone untreated for the effects of concussions, struggling with symptoms years after the injury. I often meet individuals who had concussions in their teenage or young adult years, only to be sent home with suggestions to avoid stimulation, often referred to as “cocoon therapy.” They’re left in the dark, both literally and figuratively, without proper guidance or support.
By no means am I placing blame on healthcare providers at the time - we simply weren’t aware of the best guidelines - but thankfully recent research in the past few years has shown there are better ways of managing concussion symptoms.
We now know it’s more about gradual exposure - the key word here being gradual. It’s still a great idea to take a step back, avoid heavy screen time, and let your body rest. But we need to meet your body where it’s at, find what functions were affected from the injury, and go from there.
It’s often a combination of oculomotor, vestibular, and/or cardiovascular impairments. A physician or vestibular physical therapist trained in this area can find specifics and create a plan tailored to the individual person.
Another thing we know is concussions don’t just happen to athletes. I’ve seen people ages 8 to 82 with concussion-like symptoms from hitting their head on a door, pole, or floor. People after a car accident or whiplash injury. People undiagnosed because their mechanism of injury wasn’t clear.
Unfortunately, too many of these individuals are living with continued effects that can impact their quality of life when they don’t have to. But fortunately, they can get better with intervention even years later.
Here are some common phrases I hear from these patients:
- “I get dizzy when moving quickly or when I’m in a hurry.”
- “I feel ‘off’ and unwell in stores or crowded areas.”
- “Reading is hard. I often lose my place, need to re-read, or struggle to understand what I’m reading.”
- “I have a hard time thinking. I feel foggy in my head.”
- “By the end of the day, I feel drained, tired, and just overall not good.”
- “I don’t feel like myself anymore. I’m more irritable, less patient, and prefer to be alone.”
- “Patterns, reflections, or bright lights bother me.”
These are just some of the possible lingering effects of a concussion, and they can last for years. If left untreated, these symptoms can continue to interfere with daily life, or even worsen.
The great news? It doesn’t have to be this way. Many individuals respond positively to vestibular rehabilitation.
Let’s change how we think about concussion care - because everyone deserves the chance to feel like themselves again.
