Do you know if you had a Concussion?

Happy winter everyone!

Tis’ the season for snowflakes, skiing, and cozying up by a warm fire. It is also the season for slips, trips, and falls. Whether you fall flat on your butt or an epic skiing ‘yard sale’ on the mountain, the result can be a whole lotta hurt, and potentially a concussion.

Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to hit your head to experience a concussion. Even the quick slip that does not result in a fall can cause concussion symptoms. There can also be a delay between injury event and onset of symptoms, sometimes even days can go by before symptoms start.

A concussion is a brain injury associated with rapid brain movement, large or at micro level. This type of brain injury can cause significant symptoms such as headache, brain fog, and visual sensitivity but can be difficult to diagnose by imaging or other diagnostic tests. 

Characteristic concussion symptoms fall into 6 main categories; and most people typically fall into more than one category.

●      Cognitive/Fatigue,

●      Vestibular (balance/dizziness)

●      Ocular

●      Post-Traumatic Migraine

●      Cervical

●      Anxiety/Mood

So, if your Instagram-worthy fall skiing has you feeling off balance, forgetting your phone number, and a headache, you might have had a concussion.

The good news is that there are things you can do to help yourself recover! If you think you had a concussion, it is always a good idea to be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider. The provider will help you establish the appropriate plan of care which may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and/or speech therapy. Therapists who are trained to treat concussions will perform an evaluation of multiple systems the brain controls; and they will provide exercises or hands-on treatment to help the brain re-establish its normal function.

By: Fawn Lintner-Bartlett

Whitefish Therapy has therapists specifically trained to treat concussions, including Physical Therapist Fawn Lintner-Bartlett PT, DPT, Cert DN, Vestibular Specialist and Speech-Language Pathologist, Ashley Glover-Franz, MS, CCC-SLP.