Beautiful Tragedy

How do you know if you have Post-Concussion Syndrome and what is it? 

Most concussions resolve within 7 - 14 days. However, concussion symptoms that linger for an extended period of time is called Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS). Sometimes, PCS can resolve on its own, but when it doesn't, it can have lasting effects on the injured individual, and without proper treatment, can last a lifetime. 

Occasionally, someone can sustain a concussion or multiple concussions and not feel any symptoms for months to years. And seemingly out of nowhere, PCS symptoms arise, leaving you scratching your head, wondering what the heck is wrong with me?!

Oftentimes, people don't realize that what they would consider an insignificant injury whether it's to their head or another part of their body, CAN and DOES impact their brain function. Big hits to the head aren't the only injuries that are considered "brain trauma events." 

Things like falling on your backside on the ice as a kid/adult, crashing a bike, falling off a horse, tailbone injuries, falling while downhill skiing or watersports, bumping your head on a cupboard, any sudden starts/stops, any kind of whiplash motion, fender benders, heading soccer balls - these CAN impact your brain and cause concussion symptoms.  

Unfortunately, PCS is mis-diagnosed nine times out of ten or completely missed altogether because concussions are not considered OR injuries aren't considered as having had an impact on the brain. This invisible injury can wreak havoc in every aspect of your funcitonality. 

Here is a list of symptoms you can experience if you have PCS:​​

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• Brain Fog

• Fatigue

• Insomnia

• Heightened Flight or Fight Response

• Headaches/Migraines

• Ringing/Crackling/Pain In Ears

• Anxiety/Panic Attacks

• Memory Loss (short-term or long-term)

• Forgetfullness 

• Personality Changes (anger/rage, emotional, experiences no emotion)

• No desire/Motivation to do anything

• Sensory Overload (tendancy to cry when overwhelmed, overstimulation, feeling as if you don't want to be in your body)

• Sensitivity to Frequencies (noise of a helicopter, ability to hear high or low pitched noises, ability to feel vibrations/frequencies others cannot)

• Heightened Sense of Smell (this includes inablilty to tolerate the smell of any chemical)

• Pressure In Head/Neck/Body (this includes increased pressure after activity, bending over to tie your shoe, lifting, climbing stairs, hiking)

• Neck Pain/Neck Instability (inability to increase your heartrate, hearing a heartbeat/swooshing in your ears, muscle knots, feeling your footsteps in your neck, unable to drive over bumps/potholes without neck pain)

• Occular Disfunction (unable to read, use a computer/phone, have severe fatigue/headaches after concentrated use of eyes, light sensitivity, trouble interpreting  moving things coming at you, ie,  traveling in a car, eye pain, eye fatigue, inability to interpret distance/large open spaces)

• Vestibular Disfunction (trouble walking/standing up straight, tilting your head one side or to the other, balance issues, walking on uneven ground causes fatigue, unsteady movement, inability to know where your body/extremities are in space, sound sensitivity, trouble listening to music, being in large crowds, unable to listen to more than one person speaking at a time)

• Repetitious movements causes increase of symptoms and/or fatigue

• Movements that require coordination increase symptoms and/or fatigue

• Cognitive Disfunction (unable to follow multistep instructions, trouble concentrating for any length of time, inablility to focus, track a conversation, or process information

• Physical Impairment (unable to do physical activities like run, jump, swing a hammer, lift, bend over without increase of symptoms)

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If you suffer from any or all of these symptoms, contact us for more information, support, and treatment recomendations.

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