Post Concussion Syndrome (PCS) and The Upper Cervical Spine | Head Injuries Cause Neck Injuries
There is a lot of talks lately about post concussion syndrome. After the NFL lawsuit and Jim McMahon’s recovery, post concussion syndrome made national headlines. Post concussion syndrome has reached an epidemic in the world of contact sports. The rise in extreme sports and fallout from those that suffer has brought the issue of post concussion into the spot light. Like many syndromes, post-concussion was little understood, much to the chagrin of its sufferers. Many who suffer from post concussion syndrome have long lasting health problems. They are passed around the health system, many are told they are psychosomatic, and sadly a majority suffer in silence.
ARE YOU TIRED OF THE PAIN?
Schedule a FREE consultation with one of our doctors that are part of our nationwide network. BLAIR upper cervical chiropractors are focused on removing interferences to normal body function. We get to the root cause and do not treat the effects. Start your journey back to health today!
In this article, we would like to discuss some of the common presentations of post-concussion syndrome. We will illustrate the latest science surrounding post concussion and then offer a natural healing procedure that is helping many recover their health.
Post Concussion Syndrome Symptom Presentation
Clinical Presentation:
- Cognitive deficits
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Headache
If the symptoms of a concussion persist for more than a month, it is termed Post Concussion Syndrome.
When someone sustains a blow to the head there is a shearing injury that occurs to the brain tissue as it “slams” into the skull. What is not currently well known by the public is that these types of injuries damage the upper neck. Because the head weighs 10-12 pounds, a rapid deceleration of the head can damage the soft tissue that connects the head to the neck. The neck connects to the skull with many ligaments, muscles, and tendons. An injury that is strong enough to cause a concussion may also simultaneously causes damage to the upper cervical spine. This injury to the neck is the MISSING link that explains post concussion symptoms. Listen the patient below as explains how his Post Concussion Syndrome improved with precise, gentle, Blair Upper Cervical Care:
Post-Concussion Science
Blair Upper Cervical Doctors around the country have been helping patients recover from post-concussion syndrome for decades. Dr. Scot Rosa’s recent notoriety in post-concussion circles has resulted from the recovery of high profile NFL star Jim McMahon. McMahon’s phenomenal recovery is helping to bring knowledge of Upper Cervical Care to the forefront, and rightly so. On July 2014, Marshall CM, Vernon H, Leddy JJ, Baldwin BA, uncovered the hidden whiplash- upper cervical instability connection to the post-concussion syndrome puzzle. It appears that post concussion syndrome’s long term health consequences are more often due to neck injury rather than brain injury. Long Standing symptoms thought to be from brain injury may be coming from neck misalignments that are impacting the central nervous system.
Cervical Spine Instability Due to Concussion Injury
On October of 2014, Steilen D1, Hauser R1, Woldin B1, Sawyer S 2, discovered a connection between neck pain, vertigo, migraine headaches, and other symptoms associated with cervical spine instability. When the upper cervical spine has damage from trauma, as is the case in trauma from Post-Concussion syndrome, neck joint instability can lead to an array of symptoms that exist with PCS. The scientific literature shows that when there is instability in the joints of the upper cervical spine a host of neurological complications can result that are global in their effect on the human body.
Post-Concussion Syndrome- Upper Cervical Spinal Correction
Upper Cervical Care is a discipline in health care with the goal of locating areas of joint misalignment and subsequent neurological insult. Once the misalignments are found, the Blair Upper Cervical Doctor takes x-rays along the joint plane to determine the exact direction and angle of bone misalignment. Since each person’s anatomy is different, custom tailored x-rays are necessary that take into account each person’s individual anatomy. Once the location and direction of misalignment are found, the patient receives a precise, gentle correction. The correction is given precisely along the joint angulation and misalignment direction. Over a period of months, the patient is monitored on each visit with objective scientific tests. The tests performed to determine whether the misalignment is present or not.
Migraine Sufferers benefit from Chiropractic Treatment
The Goal Of Upper Cervical Care | Holding Is Healing
The goal of Upper Cervical Care is for the spinal correction to “hold” or stay in alignment for as long as possible. In our current system of health care (which is better-termed disease management and symptom treatment) it is often difficult to get patients to understand the OBJECTIVE of Upper Cervical Care. While our current health care system is focused on the treatment of symptoms(effects), Blair Upper Cervical Care is focused on restoration of FUNCTION. Restoration of function results after correction of the Upper Cervical Spine biomechanics, which influences function in the nervous system and body. When a proper neurological function returns through precise spinal correction, health can result.
Post Concussion Syndrome: How Chiropractors Can Help
