Did you know that a study in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine found that nearly one third of athletes have had a previously undiagnosed concussion. According to the CDC in 2010 there were 2.5 million emergency room visits due to traumatic brain injury.
When you read those statistics above you start to get the idea of how big a problem concussion is in our population. 2.5 million people were taken to emergency rooms for brain injuries, but we all know someone who has had a concussion and not had any medical treatment.
The other problem that comes along with the concussion that no one is talking about is the injury to the neck. If your head was hit hard enough to cause a concussion then the neck was also injured. You may just have neck stiffness, but the problem left untreated will result in premature arthritic changes. As our awareness of concussion grows we need to also treat the neck before it becomes a bigger problem, which is why a Doctor of Chiropractic should be part of the team treating your concussion.
The most common cause of brain injury is falls 40% according to the CDC, so athletes are not the only ones getting brain injuries. Another lesser known fact is that you do not have to strike your head to get a concussion and neck injury. Whiplash type injuries where the head extends back and flexes forward very quickly can slam the brain into the side of skull, along with injuring the neck. The following are some of the symptoms of concussion:
•Confusion or feeling dazed
•Clumsiness
•Slurred speech
•Nausea or vomiting
•Headache
•Balance problems or dizziness
•Blurred vision
•Sensitivity to light
•Sensitivity to noise
•Sluggishness
•Ringing in ears
•Behavior or personality changes
•Concentration difficulties
•Memory loss