You’re feeling dizzy. Your head constantly aches and there’s a ringing in your ears. After getting home from the accident you even started to throw up. You know you hit your head when the car slammed into yours but it didn’t really seem that bad at the time. Well friend, despite what it may have seemed like, there’s a good chance you could have suffered a concussion from the accident and maybe also whiplash. But now you wonder what you should do. We’re going to break things down for you and help you plan the next steps to get you feeling better ASAP! 

What Is A Concussion?

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a bump, blow, jolt to the head or a hit to the body that causes the brain to move rapidly back and forth inside the skull.  

A concussion can result from various type of injuries. Common causes are; falls, car accidents, sports injuries and more.  

If you’ve been in an auto accident, you might have gotten a concussion from your head hitting the dash or window, or something striking your head during impact. It is important to recognize the signs of a concussion and seek treatment right away.

What Are the Symptoms of A Concussion?

The signs and symptoms of a concussion can be subtle and may not show up immediately. Symptoms can last for days, weeks or even longer. Many falsely believe that that you have to lose consciousness to have a concussion but that isn’t true. Many people never lose consciousness when they suffer a concussion. This misconception is a huge reason why concussions have been underdiagnosed in the past. 

Common symptoms after a traumatic brain injury or concussion are headache, loss of memory and confusion. The loss of memory usually involves forgetting the event that caused the concussion and is referred to as amnesia. 

Physical signs and symptoms of a concussion may include but are not limited to: 

• Headache 
• Ringing in the ears 
• Nausea 
• Vomiting  
• Fatigue or drowsiness 
• Blurry vision 
• Confusion or feeling as if in a fog  
• Memory loss 
• Loss of consciousness or blacking out 
• Dizziness or “seeing stars” 

As mentioned before, symptoms can last for days, weeks or sometimes even months. However, if your symptoms continue to persist after the expected recovery time, you might be suffering from post-concussion syndrome.  

What Is A Post-Concussion Syndrome? 

Persistent post-concussive symptoms, also called post-concussion syndrome, occur when concussion symptoms last beyond the expected recovery period after the initial injury. The usual recovery period is weeks to months depending on the severity of the injury. The persisting symptoms may include headaches, dizziness, and problems with concentration, balance, and memory. Post-concussion syndrome is often the result of structural damage to the brain or disruption of the messaging system within the nerves, initiated by the impact that caused the concussion. 

A concussion and post-concussion syndrome are serious injuries and can be very common in auto accidents. Another type of injury that might seem similar and is also a common auto accident injury is called whiplash.  

How Is A Concussion Different From Whiplash? 

Whiplash is a neck injury caused by a forceful, rapid, back-and-forth motion of the neck. Whiplash throws your musculoskeletal system out of alignment, resulting in injury to your bones, discs, soft tissues, and nerves. 

Whiplash is most often caused by rear-end collisions where one vehicle forcefully hits into another. This can cause passengers heads and necks to move in a forceful back-and-forth motion. This forceful back-and-forth motion can cause the brain to jolt resulting in a traumatic brain injury, or concussion. The force can also cause injury to the bones, discs, ligaments and soft tissues in the back and neck. If you have been in a forceful accident, you may have sustained both whiplash and a concussion.

How Can Auto Injury Chiropractors Help With Concussions or Whiplash? 

If you are suffering from a concussion, post-concussion syndrome or whiplash you might be wondering how a chiropractor can help? In addition to rest, studies show that various chiropractic manipulative therapies, myofascial release, instrument-assisted soft tissue technique, and therapeutic exercises can help aid the recovery process and have you feeling better sooner than if you saw another type of physician. Chiropractors are the industry leaders in auto accident-related injuries. They know how to realign your body in the safest way possible. Ensuring that your body is in alignment is crucial to ensuring that all your systems are functioning properly. These therapies will not only help treat your physical whiplash injuries but can also help relieve the symptoms of a concussion or post-concussion syndrome.  

Also, one of the most important reasons to seek the care of a chiropractor for a concussion, post-concussion syndrome or whiplash is because they will take a drug-free approach to your care. Here at Kaizo Health, our doctors and their team will put together a comprehensive and individualized plan of hands-on treatment and rehabilitative exercises that will help to heal your injuries in a safe and holistic way. Don’t let someone write you a prescription that will mask the symptoms for something that can, and should, be treated naturally. Our doctors’ goal is to always get to the root of the issue. Our combined approach of chiropractic care and rehabilitative exercises is proven to be more efficient and successful than one approach alone. So far, we have helped more than 100,000 people in the Washington, DC area live pain-free lives. 

Get Treated at Kaizo Health

Our goal at Kaizo Health is to always get you back to feeling 100%. Not only will our doctors provide treatment to help you be pain-free, but we also have a dedicated team that will work with you and your insurance to make sure you get the most from your benefits so that you can experience relief for as little cost to you as possible. If you are ready to experience relief from the pain, make an appointment to see us now.  

At Kaizo Health, our world-class team of chiropractors in Rockville, MD; Landover, MD; Fort Washington, MD; and Fairfax, VA, practices an evidence-based approach combining chiropractic care and guided, individualized rehabilitative exercises prescription. We provide the treatment and resources you need to recover your health and strength as best-in-class, state-of-the-art chiropractors. We are here to help! In the meantime, make sure that you check out our blog for more information on the chiropractic field, as well as our free virtual self-assessment chiropractic web app here. 

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