Concussion Assessment & Recovery | Whanganui Osteopathy

Concussion?

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury caused by acceleration or deceleration of the brain within the skull following a significant impact affecting the head. Not everyone who receives an impact affecting the head receives a concussion, but if there is a concussion it changes some of the functions of the brain. It is also worth noting that if the body moves with enough speed then a concussion can occur even without hitting the head.

Many people mainly associate concussions with head knocks in sports. However, concussions often happen alongside other injuries and can be missed. For example, older people who fall might complain about a sore wrist, shoulder, or hip, while signs like headaches, tiredness, and balance issues are ignored. In fact, falls are the leading cause of concussions.

It is important to note that most people make a FULL recovery from concussion.

Symptoms may include:

loss of consciousness
headache
pressure in the head
neck pain
nausea or vomiting
dizziness or feeling off balance
fatigue
altered vision

As well as the above list, other common symptoms that might be observed in a person with concussion include;

Symptoms may include:

difficulty concentrating or remembering things
mood changes: irritability, increased sadness, increased nervousness/ anxiety
light or noise sensitivity
poor sleep
altered sense of taste or smell.

If you suspect you may have a concussion, sometimes it can be helpful to talk to the people around you and ask if they have noticed any changes in your mood or behaviour to allow for another perspective. This can be particularly helpful with children and adolescents.

Identifying concussion in children can be difficult as they often have difficulty expressing themselves. We are not always around when children hurt themselves so knowing what to look out for is important;

Dazed appearance
Listlessness or easily fatigued
Crankiness / change in mood
Excessive crying
Change in sleep pattern
Change in eating pattern/appetite
Lack of interest in favourite toys
Unsteadiness when walking.

If your child or adolescent receives, or you believe that they might have received, a concussion you need to get them evaluated ideally within 1-2 days.

Seek emergency care if there are any of the following symptoms after head injury:

Repeated vomiting
Loss of consciousness lasting more than 30 seconds
A worsening headache
Blood or fluid coming out of the eyes or ears
Vision or eye changes
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) that doesn’t go away
Weakness in the arms or legs
Significant changes in behaviour
Confusion or disorientation
Slurred or altered speech
Changes in mental function
Poor coordination
Seizures
Dizziness that either doesn’t go away or keeps returning
Large bumps or bruises on the head particularly in infants under 12 months

Concussion Services at Whanganui Osteopathy

Imogen Winter has completed further training in concussion evaluation and management through Canada based Complete Concussion Management. Imogen offers concussion services and strategies to evaluate your injury and return you to your pre-injured state as soon as possible.

The appointment will begin with a case history where Imogen will ask you some questions about the injury and your symptoms. A numeric rating scale will be used as a metric to clarify the intensity of your symptoms which helps us to track how you are improving and progressing throughout the course of treatments.

The appointments may also involve the following:

Exertional testing for return-to-sport readiness and sub-symptom threshold exercise programs for persistent symptoms
Vestibular (inner-ear / balance), oculomotor (vision), and cervical spine (neck) rehabilitation
Balance, reaction time, visual processing, and neurocognitive testing (pre-season baseline and/or post-injury/return to sport testing)
Educational resources including information on lifestyle changes you can make to speed up your recovery.

With contact sports it can be very useful to perform baseline testing. This is a series of physical and cognitive tests designed to establish what your healthy brain function looks like. Should you then sustain a concussion during your playing season we have an objective benchmark to refer to. As concussion symptoms often disappear days to weeks before the brain has recovered, having valuable baseline information may help us to make safer return to play decisions.

Why choose Whanganui Osteopathy for your concussion care?

Imogen has completed probably the most comprehensive and research based concussion programme available
Comprehensive assessment based on the latest research
Personalised management plan based on your specific needs as no two concussions are the same
Evidence based information on nutrition, sleep and exercise to optimise the recovery of your brain
Strategies to manage your recovery and build long term resilience
Gain complete understanding of your injury, recovery and how to prevent long lasting effects of your concussion

Book an appointment with Imogen Winter and start your recovery from concussion

Book your appointment now

Concussion Services

Concussion?

Symptoms may include:

As well as the above list, other common symptoms that might be observed in a person with concussion include;

Seek emergency care if there are any of the following symptoms after head injury:

Concussion Services at Whanganui Osteopathy

Why choose Whanganui Osteopathy for your concussion care?

Other specialist services