Recently, the movie “Concussion” has made people more aware of this serious health condition. The movie alerts us to the reality of how concussions impact not only professional athletes, including football players, but the general public, too. In fact, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), as many as 4 million people suffer yearly from recreational and sporting activities having to do with concussions. Even more shocking is that since 2001, concussions in children have risen by 60 percent.
What are concussions? They are a quite complicated condition and the symptoms can differ from one person to another. How concussions impact you long-term has not yet been determined. However, what we do know is that once you have one concussion, you are at a higher risk to have another one.
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Symptoms of Concussions
Concussions are known to have the following symptoms:
- Abnormal headaches
- Nausea
- Visual changes
- Problems concentrating
- Extreme fatigue
These usually go away with a few days or weeks following the trauma. However, some people may develop what is known as post-concussion syndrome. This can lead to further complications.
Seeking Care for Concussions
Going to your local primary care doctor can result in a prescription for medication to care for individual symptoms like headaches or feeling anxious. This may help on a short-term basis, but if the underlying cause is not addressed, the symptoms will return once the medication has worn off. It is possible that the injury you endured caused a misalignment in one of the top bones of the neck: the C1 or C2 vertebra.
This type of misalignment can put the brainstem under pressure. The surrounding nerves and tissues can become irritated, and healing may not occur as it should. Upper cervical chiropractors focus on making sure the bones of the upper spine are in proper alignment. If they are not, a gentle method is used that encourages these bones to move back into place without the need to pop or crack the back or neck. This often helps relieve the symptoms of concussions.
To schedule a complimentary NUCCA consultation call 916-973-0623 on click the button below.
If you are outside of the Sacramento area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.