Concussions, also known as traumatic brain injury, is a terrible injury that is unfortunately becoming more common. When a person receives a strong blow to the skull, usually through a car accident or sports injury, the brain is momentarily jarred inside the cranial vault. When this happens, it can strike against the wall of the skull and create direct damage to the brain tissue. This can include tearing of the stabilizing fibers between the brain and skull, bruising of the tissues, or tearing of arteries. The resultant symptomatology can be widely diverse depending on which part of the brain was damaged. This can include prolonged dizziness, confusion, headaches, fuzzy vision, nausea, emotional disturbances, sleeping problems, and not being able to think clearly.
Typical medical treatment involves rest and avoiding provocative activities. The more recent research is showing further involvement of the cervical spine in post concussive type injuries. Whenever a forceful trauma to the head occurs, there is a strong chance that a misalignment in the upper neck can be created. These misalignments can alter drainage of fluids out of the skull, blood flow into the brainstem, as well as create direct pressure on nerves and other tissues that may contribute to the overall functional disruption and symptomatic presentation of the patient.