"Ben Turner Eye Injury" photo by Jon Candy licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Concussion

Concussion is a scary word these days with growing awareness of brain injuries and the repercussions especially when they are severe. Concussions are not always life altering, however, and proper management for minor ones is the key to a good recovery.

A concussion is a violent jarring or shaking resulting in brain function disturbance. It comes from the Latin word concutere meaning “to shake violently.” Concussions are most talked about in the media associated with sports especially football. Concussions most often happens in sports but can happen anytime someone hits their head or their head gets jostled around like in a car accident. Often people describe it as seeing lights, all white, all black or stars as well as an explosion in their head. Concussion symptoms vary. They include:

• Confusion, feeling “dazed”
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory loss
• Changes in sleep or difficult to wake up
• Headache
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Sensitivity to light or sound, ringing in ears
• Behavior or personality changes
• Difficulty walking or balance problems
• Seizures

(If the person was struck unconscious, has seizures, difficulty walking, won’t be woken up, vomits more than 3 times, changes in speech, has any fluid leaking from the ears or nose or has unequal pupil size in their eyes they need to go the ER right away.)

There are tests that are performed to test the grade, or severity, of the concussion. Testing memory, coordination, reflexes and special imaging such as a CT scan or MRI helps determine the severity. Many athletes and coaches as well as sideline medical personnel are very familiar with tools like the SCAT 2 and more recently the SCAT 3 (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool – 3^rd Edition). It is very good at recognizing and evaluating a concussed person on the sideline regardless of whether the evaluator was familiar with the individual before the game.

Treatment for concussion first and foremost involves resting the brain. This may require a student athlete to miss school or an adult to miss work. It also means little to no stimulus which includes the television, computer and phones. You also should not return to activity unless you are completely symptom free. If you return to activity and your symptoms return you must wait a couple days to try the activity again. You want to avoid Second Impact Syndrome (a 2^nd concussion) at all cost. While a chiropractor can diagnose and help you manage symptoms it is important to get checked out by an MD or neurologist before returning to activity.

Of course the best medicine is prevention. Wear protective gear and make sure it fits correctly. (No growing into it!) If you have questions ask your coach, athletic trainer or doctor.