A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that affects how your brain functions; usually, the effects are temporary. Mild to moderate brain injury is common following a concussion or whiplash trauma due to the forces on the brain during the injury. The human brain is a very soft structure, suspended in a watery fluid called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
In a concussion, the brain is forced forward and backward in the skull. The brain impacts the inside of the skull, leading to bruising or bleeding inside the brain. In some cases, patients temporarily lose consciousness. The long-term consequences of a concussion can include mild confusion, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, irritability, forgetfulness, loss of sex drive, depression, and emotional instability. By definition, a concussion is a head trauma. Any head trauma also results in a neck trauma. The concussive impact of a head injury will also affect the area of highest instability, the upper cervical spine. Misalignment in the upper cervical spine directly affects how the brain heals from a concussion. Restoring upper cervical alignment is critical to the healing puzzle after a concussion. There is no magic cure or timeline for healing concussions. NUCCA Chiropractic is one part of the healthcare team needed to restore the patient to normal life post-concussion. At The Balanced Atlas, we partner with dozens of integrative healthcare practitioners dedicated to restoring the lives of those suffering from post-concussion symptoms.
