Concussion treatment Camrose
Expertise in Sports Injury
Concussions are a significant concern for athletes, particularly those involved in high-impact sports. This type of brain injury can affect both physical performance and cognitive function, making everyday activities and athletic participation more challenging during recovery.
Most concussions result from a traumatic impact to the head or body, commonly occurring during sports activities or motor vehicle accidents. While concussion symptoms can be painful and limiting, concussion treatment Camrose can help support recovery through targeted physiotherapy techniques. With appropriate assessment and rehabilitation, many individuals experience improved symptom management and a safer return to daily activities, work, and sport.
If you are suffering from a concussion and you are looking for treatment, contact Central Physiotherapy today to speak with one of our experienced physiotherapists.
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How Do Concussions Happen?
Concussions are a fairly common injury, but many people are unaware of exactly what happens when one gets a concussion. This injury is a result of an impact, in which the brain collides with the inside of the skull.
This can be caused by a harsh blow to the head or any traumatic jolt to the body. Concussions can also be caused if a violent back-and-forth motion (such as whiplash) of the head takes place. When your head tosses in different directions rapidly (such as from a car crash or harsh football tackle), your brain gets tossed along inside it, bouncing off the bony enclosure of your skull.
Concussions can result in a number of unfortunate symptoms, such as:
- Headaches/Migraines
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Ringing in the ears
- Visual abnormalities
- Slurring of speech
- Memory loss and confusion
- Nausea and vomiting
- Inability to focus
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
How Are Concussions Treated?
In severe cases, concussions can result in brain bleeds that require emergency medical treatment. In cases such as this, your condition will be treated at the hospital ASAP. In milder cases, your concussion will be treated and cured over a period of time. No matter the severity, your doctor will likely conduct brain imaging and diagnostic tests to analyze the extent of the damage done to your brain during the impact. This will assist your doctor in prescribing your treatment.
While it used to be believed that exercise would create further damage to the concussion, recent studies have actually found the opposite to be true.
Active physiotherapy treatments consisting of light exercises and other physical activities have proven to show a decrease in recovery time for patients suffering from concussions. All of North American Physiotherapy Associations now recognize physiotherapists as potential key players in effective concussion rehabilitation plans.
Concussions are a serious matter, and our physiotherapists are dedicated to helping you recover. Our Physiotherapists have special post graduate training in treating concussions.
Concussions are highly treatable as long as you receive the right guidance and care. If you are suffering from a concussion, book an appintoment with one of our physiotherapists today.
We’ll get you started on the first steps toward creating your treatment plan, and help you achieve your goals toward a safe and sensible return to activity!
Frequently Asked Questions About Concussions
Concussion is a brain injury which can be caused by a sudden acceleration of the head and neck resulting from a blow or contact to the body. You do not need to lose consciousness to have sustained a concussion. Concussions can occur from many different activities including falls, assault, motor vehicle collisions, sports or being struck by an object. Symptoms can appear immediately or, in some cases, days following the initial injury.
Concussions occur with sudden linear and/or rotational acceleration of the head, which causes the brain to move within the skull. It is this movement of the brain that stretches and even tears neural tissue of the brain and produces the symptoms of concussions.
The following are some of the most common symptoms a person can experience with a concussion.
NO two concussions are the same and you may experience some or all of these symptoms.
Physical
- Dizziness or Balance Problems
- Headache
- Nausea or Vomiting
- Fatigue/Sleep Disturbances
- Blurry Vision
- Sensitivity to Light or Sound
- Loss of Consciousness (not always)
- Tinnitus (ringing in ears)
Cognitive
- Poor Concentration
- Memory Problems
- Confusion
- Feeling like you are “in a fog”
Emotional / Behavioural
- Sad/Depressed
- Anxious
- Irritable
If you think you have sustained a concussion, you should:
- Immediately stop/remove yourself from the activity you were doing when the concussion happened.
- Seek medical advice/attention immediately. Our Physiotherapists have special training in the assessment and treatment of concussions.
- You should not drive for at least 24 hours (consult your doctor when it is okay to drive).
- Generally, concussions cannot be seen on CT scans or MRIs. CT scans and MRIs are useful to identify any structural damage. (ie. skull fracture, bleeding)
- Mental and physical rest is important for the first 24 – 48 hours after sustaining a concussion. Full bed rest should not exceed three days and a gradual return to activities should begin as soon as tolerated.
- Symptoms can/may worsen over the next few days. A person should see their doctor before returning to their current level of activity (ie. work, school, etc.). It is highly recommended that you are followed by a doctor who is knowledgeable in dealing with concussion/mTBI.
- Refrain from using non-prescription drugs or alcohol.
The majority of people who sustain a concussion begin to feel better and symptoms are alleviated within a few days to weeks. There is a small percentage of the population whose symptoms can persist for months or longer. This is called post-concussion syndrome (PCS).
If symptoms persist, it is important to see your doctor for follow-up and monitoring.
No two concussions are alike. Many factors can contribute to the time it will take for full recovery. These factors can include:
- Severity of concussion
- Health prior to concussion
- Age
- History of prior concussion(s)
Physical and cognitive rest are important during recovery from a concussion. In order to achieve cognitive rest, time off from work or school is recommended especially during the first 24 – 48 hours after sustaining a concussion.
After sustaining a concussion, people should be encouraged to gradually return to activity based upon their tolerance of the activity. When planning on returning to an activity, your tolerance or threshold for the activity should strongly be considered. Your physiotherapist will work closely with you to determine your activity thresholds.
If you have returned to work/school and you are experiencing a mild elevation of your symptoms, that increase should not incapacitate you or lead to a decrease in functioning the next day.
Your physiotherapist will work together with your employer/school and doctor to create a slow return to work/activity plan. A strong collaborative team can aid in a smoother transition with an increased chance of success.
If the concussion was sustained in a motor vehicle collision, contact your insurance provider within seven days and be sure to contact a personal injury lawyer who has experience with traumatic brain injuries immediately.
Our physiotherapists work closely with your your legal team and insurance provider to assure that you receive the optimal care that you need.
Second impact syndrome is a rare condition in which a second concussion occurs before the first concussion has properly healed. When a second impact is sustained, it may lead to severe swelling of the brain.
Although it is an extremely rare condition, it is often fatal. It has occurred primarily in younger athletes injured during play.
This is one of the reasons why it is so important to remove yourself from activity and seek medical attention.
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