Post Concussion Syndrome

Medically speaking, a syndrome means a patient is suffering multiple symptoms, that is, symptoms from more than one area. Following a concussion of any severity, a person will have physical injury to contend with, perhaps a headache that just won't go away. Add to this, emotional distress about not being allowed to play a sport for several weeks, or not being able to go back to work for months. Then, consider confused or altered thinking caused directly by the concussion, and made worse by worry. Soon, you have post concussion syndrome.

Post concussion syndrome causes increased worry because something could be seriously wrong and "the doctors just aren't finding it." And indeed, there may be additional post-injury problems that show up later on. Either way, a patient can't concentrate on anything because of the worry, so gets behind with the most basic of tasks. That leads to some things not getting done at all, or being accomplished too late to prevent problems.

All the symptoms from a concussion interact with each other and may hinder recovery. Worrying about the future and not being able to get health insurance is a big one. Losing one's job from being out too long on medical leave is another. After all, not being able to pay the bills will put a family out on the street.

Overcoming Post Concussion Syndrome

Physical therapy will help to alleviate physical pain, especially if you provide feedback for what's working and what may be irritating inflamed nerves instead. Relaxation techniques can augment the therapy by putting you in charge of how you feel and how you react to stressors. Low dose prescriptions or herbal remedies can help you sleep; a full night's sleep heals many distressing problems, including fatigue and short temper. Eventually, the concussion injury will heal.