Did you know that you can treat concussion with physical therapy?
A concussion is an alteration in mental status caused by physical trauma. It is a functional injury, rather than a structural one, that usually does not show up on CT scans or MRIs but results in symptoms and neurocognitive impairment.
In this video, Julie Shein, PT, explains how physical therapy may be prescribed if someone still has symptoms 2-3 weeks after their concussion, or if their recovery has plateaued. A person who has symptoms for up to a year or more has a condition known as Persistent Post Concussion Syndrome (PPCS). PPCS affects 15 percent of people who sustain a concussion. These symptoms fall into six different categories:
- Cognitive/ Fatigue
- Vestibular
- Ocular
- Post-Traumatic Migraine
- Cervical
- Anxiety/ Mood
A physical therapist will evaluate the following:
- The patient’s neck for symptoms due to whiplash
- The vestibular system due to dizziness, imbalance and ocular-motor dysfunction
- The patient’s cardiovascular ability to tolerate exercise
Studies show that addressing these three areas reduce patient’s symptoms and expedites their return to life, school and sport.
Learn more about other ways physical therapy can treat neurological and vestibular issues, including Parkinson’s Disease and Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).
