Concussions are more than just a bump on the head—they're complex brain injuries that can have lasting effects on your health, daily function, and quality of life. While traditional treatments often focus solely on rest and symptom management, chiropractic care offers a comprehensive approach that addresses the underlying neurological and structural issues causing persistent symptoms.
Understanding the Concussion Crisis: More Than Just "Getting Your Bell Rung"
Dr. Jeremy knows firsthand the devastating impact of concussions. As a former collegiate football player who suffered seven concussions—including several that left him waking up in the hospital with no memory of how he got there—he experienced the limitations of conventional treatment approaches. It wasn't until he discovered chiropractic care that he found relief from persistent symptoms and ultimately found his calling helping others recover from similar injuries.
“After my last concussion in college, I was struggling with headaches, dizziness, and brain fog that medications couldn't touch,” Dr. Jeremy shares. “When a chiropractor addressed the misalignments in my upper cervical spine that had occurred during impact, I finally started seeing improvement. That experience changed my life's direction completely.”
The Science of Concussions: What Actually Happens to Your Brain
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) that occurs when a blow or jolt to the head causes the brain to move rapidly within the skull. This sudden movement triggers a complex cascade of chemical changes and sometimes damages delicate neural tissue.
During impact, your brain goes through what doctors call a "neurometabolic cascade" — basically, a chain reaction that throws normal brain function out of whack. This includes cell membranes letting in stuff they shouldn't, brain chemicals getting released chaotically, energy production taking a nosedive, reduced blood flow, neural pathways getting stretched, and inflammation kicking in at the cellular level. All these changes show up as those symptoms that can really mess with your day-to-day life, which is why you can't just "walk it off" and proper recovery time is so important.
Recognizing Concussion Symptoms:
One of the biggest challenges for concussion sufferers is that they often "look fine" on the outside, making it hard for friends, family, and coworkers to understand what they're going through. You might hear things like "but you look fine" or "it's just a bump on the head," when in reality, your brain is working overtime to heal from a serious injury.
Concussions come with a wide range of symptoms that can include headaches, confusion, memory issues, dizziness, ringing ears, nausea, slurred speech, fatigue, delayed responses, concentration problems, sleep disturbances, sensitivity to light and noise, and mood changes.
What makes concussions tricky is that symptoms don't always show up right away – they can develop hours or even days after the injury. And they're not just short-lived either; symptoms can stick around for weeks, months, or in some cases, years especially if you aren’t doing anything to help heal immediately after the injury.
The Chiropractic Approach to Concussion Recovery: Addressing Root Causes
Chiropractic treatment offers a non-invasive, drug-free approach to concussion management that addresses both immediate symptoms and long-term recovery. Here's how it works:
1. Cervical Spine Alignment
Research shows that the cervical spine gets messed up in literally EVERY person who gets a concussion. When your head takes a hit, those top neck bones (especially C1 and C2) often get knocked out of place. And that's a bigger deal than it sounds because these misalignments can block the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid, cut down blood flow to your brain, put pressure on your brainstem, and make all your symptoms worse.
The good news? A chiropractor can get in there with specific adjustments to fix these misalignments, which helps everything start working right again and often kicks those symptoms to the curb. It's pretty wild how much difference a properly aligned neck makes for recovery.
2. Addressing the Vestibular System
Many concussion patients experience dizziness, balance problems, and spatial disorientation—all related to the vestibular system. Dizziness and balance dysfunction following sports-related concussions may result from problems in the vestibular, proprioceptive, or central systems.
3. Addressing the Gut-Brain Axis
It is often neglected, but there is a deep connection between the digestive system and the neurological systems. When you suffer a concussion, it impacts the communication between the two systems. Hence, why an athlete gets nauseous after a concussion.
One thing to always keep in mind is supplementation to get healthy fats to the brain tissue to help them heal. However, that may not be enough as the nerves running to the gallbladder (which breaks down these fats) may need some attention as well. That’s where a chiropractor comes in.
When to Seek Care After a Concussion
After a head injury, you should get checked out ASAP—not next week, not when it's convenient, but right away. Your brain and nervous system don't hit pause on healing while you're deciding whether to make an appointment. They start the recovery process immediately, and if things aren't lined up right from the get-go, your healing might head down the wrong path.
By addressing those cervical misalignments early, we can help create the optimal environment for your brain to heal properly. Think of it like setting a broken bone—you wouldn't wait a month to get a cast, right? Same deal with your brain. The sooner we can get your nervous system functioning correctly, the better your chances for a complete recovery without those lingering symptoms that can mess with your life for months or even years.
Dr. Jeremy is the founder of Balanced Chiropractic + Wellness, specializing in comprehensive care for concussions, sports injuries, and chronic pain. His evidence-based approach combines advanced chiropractic techniques with cutting-edge neurological rehabilitation. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Jeremy, call our office today.