The release of the 2015 movie Concussion has us all on high alert when it comes to traumatic brain injury.

Concussions can happen to anyone, not just football stars and Sidney Crosby.

I’ve had patients concussed from the simple act of heading a soccer ball, others from a fall while skiing, and a few after a relatively low impact car accident.

The real challenge is, what happens if the concussion symptoms don’t go away after resting?

Photo Credit: Contributed

Sometimes there is more to recovering from a concussion than just resting your brain. Rest is important, but there may be more you can do.

Standard protocol is to stop stimulating your brain for three weeks. That means limiting physical activity, screen time and basically anything that stresses your brain or body, because brain cell damage may continue for days and weeks after the impact if you don’t rest and let your brain heal.

Healthy brain cells create "free radicals" while working. So thinking and coordinating your body all day produces free radicals in your brain. Fortunately, when you get good quality sleep those brain cells convert into free radical “scavenger" cells.

After a concussion, while your brain is healing, your brain cells are not up to the challenge. When your brain cells are trying to heal from your head trauma, they don’t scavenge up free radicals like they should.

Simple Supplementation

That’s why it’s a good idea to supplement with up to 15,000 mg of high-quality fish oil for as long as 3 weeks post-concussion. The omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil are excellent antioxidants and can help your brain deal with the overflow of free radicals.

Most health food stores in Kelowna stock a high-quality fish oil like Carlson’s Extra Fine fish oil. Taking the liquid form is easier because taking 15 capsules a day can be a bit overwhelming (as opposed to just three teaspoons of the liquid).

Photo Credit: Contributed

Another missing link I've seen in recovering from a concussion is overlooked damage to the upper neck.

Sid’s Recovery

Not many people are aware that Sidney Crosby's breakthrough and return to sport came under the care of Canadian-born chiropractor Dr. Ted Carrick. In fact, many experts credit Dr. Carrick for saving Sid’s career because his recovery wasn’t going very well until the two met.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The same head trauma that results in your concussion can just as easily cause damage to the upper neck. Because the upper neck bones surround the brain stem, several symptoms overlap with the symptoms of a concussion.

This isn't just an issue in professional sports either. In fact, I’ve worked with high-level athletes in our community who were having difficulty recovering from concussion symptoms, and the remaining symptoms were really coming from the upper neck.

After a proper assessment and some very gentle upper neck adjustments, the symptoms resolved and these athletes were cleared for practice.

Expanding Your Support Team to Fully Manage a Concussion

If you are still struggling from the after-effects of a concussion or concerned that a loved one may be long overdue for recovery, then co-managing a concussion with a qualified chiropractor is a very smart decision.

Many chiropractors have had experience co-managing concussion and other neurological injuries. It’s worth asking around to find a chiro that can add this level of expertise to your health care team.

If there has been enough impact to damage the brain, then there certainly can be enough impact to damage the delicate joints and bones of the upper neck. So it’s important not to assume that every symptom you have is resulting from the concussion.

 This column is brought to you by Dr. Graham Jenkins of Lighthouse Chiropractic.  

"I am a chiropractor with over 20 years experience in private practice. I am research driven so that bleeds through into the way we practice at Lighthouse Chiropractic.

"Restoring health is not easy, but it should be logical, so our goal is to separate out the noise in healthcare today so our clients can see their way clear to great and lasting health."

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