Persistent Concussion Symptoms (PCS)

What is a concussion?

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury due to a direct blow to the head, neck or body resulting in a force being transmitted to the brain and created by an acceleration and deceleration shearing of the neurons of the brain. There are different degrees of concussions ranging from mild, moderate and severe. Symptoms may include but are not limited to headache, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, sleep disorder, concentration issues, memory problems and psychological issues.

Concussion symptoms are usually temporary but long-term effects may linger depending on the individual and severity. Persistent concussion symptoms (PCS) are classified with at least 3 of the above symptoms for 4 weeks after the injury.

Treatment benefits for PCS

Osteopathic treatment can be beneficial in the reduction of symptoms and the healing of the brain. Listed below are a few ways Osteopathy can help:

Symptom relief from headaches
Improved blood flow to the brain for brain healing
Restoring body balance via proprioception, vision and vestibular systems.
Reducing inflammation
Enhancing nervous system function

Evidenced-based Assessment and Treatment Protocol

An evaluation of the patient is performed to determine what systems of the body are involved in the injury, such as the the visual and vestibular systems; cervical, thoracic and cranial-sacral regions. Treatment modalities used may include cranial osteopathic techniques, cervical region mobilizations, manual lymphatic drainage and soft tissue manipulations.

For more information, please contact Dennis