Specialized Physical Therapy

Pain free living - we address the body from head to toe

  • Specialized Physical Therapy
  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
    • Thornton
    • Dry Creek
    • Littleton
    • Pearl Street
    • Work With Us
  • Conditions We Treat
  • TREATMENTS
    • Manual Therapy
    • Trigger Point Dry Needling
    • Massage
    • Mobility and Strength
    • Personalized Exercise Plans
  • Other Services
    • Balance Screening
    • Concussion Rehabilitation
    • Injury Prevention
    • Men’s Health
    • Orthotics
    • Pilates
    • Vestibular Rehabilitation
    • Women’s Health
  • PATIENT RESOURCES
    • Make An Appointment
    • Patient Forms
    • Insurance We Accept
    • Do I Need A Referral From My Doctor For Physical Therapy?
    • Pay My Bill
  • BLOG
  • LOCATIONS

May 15, 2024 by Rebekah

Concussions and Physical Therapy

Concussions and Physical Therapy... Concussions happen quite often, and not just to athletes. For one reason or another a head gets banged about and there it is, a concussion. Before you just blow it off, the ramifications of a concussion can be daunting, especially if you’ve had more than one.

Concussions happen quite often, and not just to athletes.  For one reason or another a head gets banged about and there it is, a concussion.  Before you just blow it off, the ramifications of a concussion can be daunting, especially if you’ve had more than one.

One of the most common misconceptions about concussions is; “a concussion is just a brain bruise.” It is more severe than that.

The truth is that concussions cause structural or metabolic disturbance to the central nervous system following an impact. The brain is more gelatinous than solid. It consists of complex nerve pathways that run everything from our behavior to body movements.

When there is a blow to the head, the brain slides towards the site of impact then back to the opposing side. This movement causes the pathways in the middle of the brain become disrupted, structurally and metabolically. This can lead to cell death.

So how can physical therapy help? It is true that you need rest after a concussion. However, once nerve cells die they cannot regenerate. Therefore, those pathways will be lost forever. Research has shown that a combination of rest and rehabilitation helps form new pathways to make up for the lost ones.

Once deemed appropriate by your health care team (physician, physical therapist, athletic trainer, etc.) you can begin physical therapy to help form new pathways.

Some of the most common symptoms associated with concussion are headaches, dizziness, memory and cognitive impairments, and balance impairments. There are many different interventions that physical therapists can use to address these symptoms.

Dizziness and headaches can be caused by muscle tension in the neck due to whiplash from the concussion. Physical therapists can use manual techniques and exercise to address this. Dizziness and headaches are also often cause by an impaired vestibular-ocular reflex. This reflex runs from your inner ear to your eyes and helps your eyes stay focused on objects while moving.

Memory and cognitive deficits are very common after a concussion. Research has recently shown that cognitive tasks combined with vestibular-ocular reflex exercises forms new pathways in the brain quicker than performing these exercises individually.

Balance can be impaired after a concussion making it unsafe to perform your daily activities. Physical therapists have numerous tests and techniques to know how to progress balance exercises safely.

One of the most important things to know about concussions is that they are all different.  Therefore, it is important to be evaluated by a physical therapist, so they can assess your symptoms and impairments to develop a treatment plan tailored to your needs.

Be sure to get immediate medical attention, and then ask your physician whether physical therapy is a good fit for your concussion.  Then give us a call today! (720) 493-1181

Concussions and Physical Therapy.... Concussions happen quite often, and not just to athletes. For one reason or another a head gets banged about and there it is, a concussion. Before you just blow it off, the ramifications of a concussion can be daunting, especially if you’ve had more than one.

Filed Under: Physical Therapy Tagged With: concussions, physical therapy

 

 


Dry Creek Clinic

7340 S. Alton Way, 11D
Centennial, CO 80112
T: 720-493-1181
F: 720-493-1191


South Pearl Street Clinic

1550 S. Pearl Street , Suite 101
Denver, CO 80210
T: 720-873-6866
F: 303-871-0830


Littleton Clinic

10125 W. San Juan Way, #120
Littleton, CO 80127
T: 303-933-9057
F: 303-933-9108
Specialized Physical Therapy Voted Best Of Littleton On Front Door

Thornton Clinic

9351 Grant Street Suite 380
Thornton, CO 80229
T: 303-655-8699
F: 303-655-8698

Recent Posts

  • How Can Physical Therapy Help Achilles Tendonitis?
  • What is a Sprain and What Long Term Effects Can They Have?
  • Why Are Pregnant Women So Darn “Tippy”?
  • How Strengthening Your Core Can Help With Some Of Your Lady Issues
  • Neglected Muscles of the Core: The Connection Between the Diaphragm and the Pelvic Floor

Specialized Physical Therapy

SOUTH PEARL STREET CLINIC LOCATION
1550 S. Pearl Street , Suite 101 Denver, CO 80210
T: 720-873-6866
F: 303-871-0830

LITTLETON CLINIC LOCATION
10125 W. San Juan Way, #120 Littleton, CO 80127
T: 303-933-9057
F: 303-933-9108

DRY CREEK CLINIC LOCATION
7340 S. Alton Way, 11D Centennial, CO 80112
T: 720-493-1181
F: 720-493-1191

THORNTON CLINIC LOCATION
9351 Grant Street Suite 380 Thornton, CO 80229
T: 303-655-8699
F: 303-655-8698

Patient Resources

Make An Appointment

Pay My Bill

Patient Forms

Insurance We Accept

Do I Need A Referral
From My Doctor
For Physical Therapy?

Policies

Follow Us On Social!

Back Pain

Back pain is hard to live with in the short term, when it’s chronic, or all the time, it’s even worse. So why do some people have chronic back pain when others seem to shake back issues off? A number of causes Chronic back pain has a number of causes, and sometimes finding the actual […]

  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
  • Conditions We Treat
  • TREATMENTS
  • Other Services
  • PATIENT RESOURCES
  • BLOG
  • LOCATIONS

Handcrafted with on the Genesis Framework