What is post-concussion syndrome (PCS)?
A concussion is an acute neurophysiological event related to blunt impact to the head, neck or body. This injury can cause brain damage, impacting your physical and mental health, as well as cognitive capacity.
In post-concussion syndrome (PCS), the symptoms persist longer than 7-10 days. This typically occurs when concussions are severe, or if there is a lack of proper management of the initial concussion.
What is a concussion?
A concussion is often called a minor traumatic brain injury that usually occurs after direct or indirect head impact. This rapid forceful stop creates excessive movement of your brain inside your skull, causing damage to the brain tissue, nerve pathways, and neural cells that occur with a concussion.
A concussion does not require direct impact, as sudden acceleration or deceleration motions (such as whiplash) can cause a concussion.
What are the symptoms of a concussion?
The most common symptoms of a concussion include:
- Physical: physical symptoms include headaches, nausea, dizziness or vertigo, vision problems or light sensitivity, tinnitus, insomnia, fatigue, neck pain and stiffness, and others.
- Cognitive: cognitive symptoms include difficulty concentrating (brain fog), memory loss, slow or inaccurate speech, problems with multi-tasking, difficulty reading, and others.
- Psychological: psychological symptoms include anxiety, depression, irritable moods, impulsive behaviour, difficulty maintaining relationships, and more.
How is post-concussion syndrome diagnosed?
Diagnosis of post-concussion syndrome (PCS) involves various methods, including reviewing your medical history, physical tests, manual neurological and visual testing, vestibular tests, as well as using medical imaging technology, such as SCAT-5, X-rays, MRI or CT scans.
Conclusion
The most important aspect of concussion management is treating it early to prevent future problems. Our team will examine your vascular and neurological structures that may require immediate medical attention and can provide cognitive rehabilitation therapy to improve your functional abilities. Contact our physiotherapy clinic to learn how we can help.
