If you've experienced a concussion and are dealing with ongoing vision problems, a thorough neuro-optometry evaluation is essential. Unlike a standard eye exam, which primarily checks for eye health and visual acuity, a neuro-optometry evaluation goes much deeper, addressing the complex systems that control how we process visual information.
Concussions and Grief | Thoughts from a Denver Concussion Therapist
You had a head injury and now everything has changed. You may not be able to think clearly, you’re having issues with your memory or concentration, and tasks that were easy for you before are now challenging. Some people may also experience ongoing headaches, problems sleeping, and other physical symptoms. There can be a lot of grief and loss associated with getting a concussion and the ramifications of it.
Celebrating the Holidays with a Concussion: A Survival Guide
It’s the last 6 weeks of 2024, and we’ve officially entered the holiday season. Christmas music is playing, lights are going up on buildings, and people are getting into the festive spirit. Holidays are meant to be a fun time of the year, hopefully spent with loved ones. However, this year could be a little different if you’ve recently sustained a concussion. Holidays may now feel overwhelming and overstimulating. But with the following tips, you can prevent the worst of the symptoms.
How Long Do Concussion Symptoms Last?
This is a question we are asked quite often here at the Colorado Concussion Clinic. It is a difficult one to answer, as there is no definitive timeframe for recovery from a brain injury, and no way to fully predict how long any given individual will take to feel fully recovered. Everyone recovers slightly differently, and every human brain is unique.
Are return to play protocols sufficient? Or are we sending athletes back too early, leaving them susceptible to additional injuries?
CTE is a neuro-degenerative condition that is caused by repeated head impacts. Researchers found that even sub-concussive blows (i.e., the hits that an offensive/defensive lineman would incur on every play) can cause CTE even though the impacts don’t meet the criteria of a diagnosable concussion.[1] For those who did sustain a concussion, it has been shown that sustaining a second concussion before fully healing from a prior concussion significantly increases the risk of a protracted recovery time and more severe cognitive, physical, and emotional symptoms.
Signs of Developing PTSD After Sustaining a Concussion
Why are you suffering from long-COVID and when will you get better? Here’s what we know…
As a cognitive therapist, I have seen an increasing number of patients who are suffering from what has been termed “long-COVID” symptoms. Based on my own (completely unscientific) analysis, there is not a single link that would determine why they all suffer from extended symptoms. They are varying ages, both male and female, have differing occupations and educational levels, etc. Some have significant prior medical issues, and some were healthy with no complaints. So, I turned to the research to see if the people who actually get paid to study this stuff came up with anything better.
Headaches ... "They come out of nowhere"
One of the most prominent symptoms of concussion is headache. After a concussive injury headaches are often the main symptom that impacts one’s daily functioning. One moment you might be effectively managing your pain and then the next thing you know you have a significant headache that causes you to stop what you are doing. Patients often remark, “It just came out of nowhere!”
Getting Back to Work After a Medical Leave
Do I need to see a neurologist?
You’ve just sustained a concussion, which is a mild traumatic brain injury. You might be wondering if you need a neurologist on your team, since neurologists diagnose and treat disorders of the brain. This is a great question, and one we get all the time.
In most cases, it is not necessary to see a neurologist following a concussion. A lot of our patients go to the ER to get checked out in the first few days, which is a very appropriate course of action. If there is no concern for brain bleed or need for surgery, they are typically told to follow-up with their primary care physician, or PCP. Ideally the PCP will give the patient some guidance for how to manage the symptoms during the acute phase and refer them to a concussion specialist. Getting care for your concussion early has been shown to decrease the risk of persistent post concussive syndrome.
What’s most important to your recovery, is having a medical professional on the case who has extensive knowledge of the typical and atypical courses of concussive injury, as well as the treatments available. Concussion management has dramatically evolved over the years, and it is important to understand that not all doctors, including neurologists, might be up to date. BEWARE of physicians who tell you to sit in a dark room for a week, or that there is nothing you can do but wait for your symptoms to go away. We now know that getting care within even as little as 36 hours post injury improves your chances of a shorter and faster recovery.
Helping Family Members with Concussion
When someone has a broken leg, it’s pretty obvious how we can be helpful. We can drive them places, open doors for them, carry their groceries, etc. Concussion is a different kind of injury. It is known as “the invisible injury” because it is not externally obvious to others. There’s no cast, no crutches, and it doesn’t even show up on a CT scan. The individual often struggles with thinking, overstimulation, and fatigue, among other things. Sometimes people aren’t sure what they can do to help. The answers may vary, depending on the individual, but here are some general tips for how to help someone you know who has had a concussion.
I’m not as young as I used to be...How do I know if my symptoms are due to concussion or early dementia?
As a speech-language pathologist who has focused on treating adults with neurological deficits, I hear this question ALL. THE. TIME. It’s understandable that people become very concerned whenever they have changes in their memory. And unfortunately, there is no easy answer. But hopefully the information in this blog post will provide you with the information you need to help answer this question.
Unfortunately, many of the signs of early stage dementia are also symptoms of concussion. These common signs include forgetfulness, trouble concentrating as long as you used to, difficulty finding the right words, changes in behavior/mood, and difficulty completing daily tasks. Therefore, it can be very difficult to determine if you have dementia based solely on those symptoms. One of the biggest ways to differentiate between the two is that you can typically make progress and recover after a concussion, but dementia typically gets progressively worse over time. If you did not notice any difficulties prior to sustaining your concussion, and then acute changes occurred, that would lead me to believe that the issues are concussion related. It is also possible that you are experiencing some normal cognitive decline (we call that getting older).
What is Biofeedback?
When your child experiences chronic pain, it can cause him/her to experience emotional pain as well.
For example, your child may feel anxious about when the pain will go away or "bummed" about not being able to enjoy a "normal" life. These emotional pain can also contribute to worsening physical pain, leading to a negative spiral.
After all, the pain can take control of your child's body and mind almost completely...
Naturally, you, as parents, want to do everything you can to "fix" and rescue your child. However, you may feel helpless at times when you can't resolve his/her problems.
If you are one of those parents, don't give up. There is hope.
Today I would like to talk about one of effective treatment for chronic medical and psychological conditions - Biofeedback therapy.
“Jot That Down” - Thoughts about note-taking following a head injury
One of the things I hear frequently when I meet a new patient is, “All of a sudden I have to write everything down. I used to just remember things and now I’m totally overwhelmed. It’s SO frustrating!”
Let’s take a minute to analyze the situation and put things in perspective. Normally, you have a routine which may involve work, typical household chores, family obligations, etc. But now you’ve been hurt - maybe due to a fall, a sports injury, or a car crash. You’re not feeling like yourself, you’re tired and scared, and all of a sudden tasks are piling up. In addition to your usual responsibilities, you may be dealing with any or all of the following:
Physical symptoms: headaches, dizziness, nausea, sleep disturbance, etc.
Emotional symptoms: sadness, fear, anxiety, trauma, etc.
Medical appointments happening at different times on different days
Insurance companies
Work issues
Not having a car
Being unable to perform household chores
When we think of it that way, it’s a lot! You’ve had several things added to your plate, and it’s hard to juggle and remember everything that needs to be done.
How Does Impaired Hearing Impact Cognition?
Did you know that hearing impairment is a common symptom after sustaining a concussion? Many people are aware of post-concussive symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, or memory loss, but are less familiar with the possibility of hearing impairment. Some people experience hearing loss while others may experience symptoms such as difficulty processing auditory information, ringing in the ears, or sensitivity to noise. It varies significantly by person, but these symptoms can sometimes have a profound effect on your life.
You might be surprised to learn that even mild hearing impairment can impact a person’s life and daily functioning. In fact, research shows that even mild hearing impairment is associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline as well as an increased risk of dementia. In this blog, we’re going to discuss several examples of different areas of cognition that are directly impacted by a hearing impairment in addition to some tips to help you alleviate these challenges.
Four Ways to Manage Fatigue From a Cognitive Perspective
Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms our patients report after they experience a concussion. It can reveal itself physically, cognitively, or even emotionally. Our group of speech language pathologists at the Colorado Concussion Clinic often work with our patients to manage each type using a holistic and individualized approach to cognitive therapy. While there are many different ways to treat fatigue, here are four ways we might address it in therapy with you…
Concussion Recovery in the Time of Covid-19
When recovering from a concussion, routines are extremely important for brain health and healing. Given the current pandemic, many of us have had our daily routines completely upended. As we settle into the changes in our day to day lives, maintaining routines when possible, as well as creating new routines will be helpful to support ongoing recovery. With stay at home orders in most states, we have put together some tips to help get through these trying times while dealing with the effects of a concussion.
Concussion and Vision Therapy
According to the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association, up to 90% of people following traumatic brain injury experience visual issues. 90%!! Given that the visual system is such a big driver of symptoms, we thought we would delve into the different symptoms that can occur due to visual dysfunction, as well as the most common visual dysfunctions seen following concussion.
Exercise and BDNF
We’ve all heard that exercise is good for our health. It has been associated with benefits for almost all systems in the body including improved cardiovascular health, increased bone mineral density, decreased risk for stroke, diabetes, and cancer. It is also well known for decreased rates of depression.
What do we know about how exercise impacts the brain? Exercise has been associated with improved cognitive function including memory, attention, executive functioning, and problem solving. It has been shown to promote brain vascularization (improved blood flow to the brain). Exercise is linked to a larger volume of the hippocampus, the brain center for learning and memory, and also one area of the brain that is affected in Alzheimer’s. Exercise has also been shown to promote the growth of new neurons in the brains.
Concussion Myths: Debunked!
Concussion is a hot topic these days, and with that comes a lot of misinformation. With concussions getting so much attention in the media, there are a lot of providers jumping on board and saying that they treat concussions. This can be misleading and even harmful if they do not have the specialized training needed to effectively and efficiently manage these injuries.
Since it can be so confusing to know what to believe, we are going to dive into some of the most common myths, misconceptions, and misinformation that are out there about concussions!