Healing and recovery from a concussion always takes time. Sometimes it requires a significant amount of time, such as weeks rather than days. Typically, people who suffer a mild traumatic brain injury such as concussion are advised to rest to give the brain a chance to heal. Medical care may also involve the use of pharmaceuticals to address symptoms such as pain. It is extremely important to follow a medical practitioner’s advice regarding post-concussion care. This can help the individual avoid serious and possibly permanent disabilities, or even death if a secondary concussion occurs before full recovery from the first has occurred.
Seeking out the support of a functional neurologist can help ensure the fullest possible recovery from concussion. Functional neurology does not take a ‘wait and see’ approach. Instead, it focuses on identifying structural or functional neurologic dysfunctions that may be resulting in symptoms. This is not the same type of evaluation that is provided in emergency situations, at the moment an injury occurs. Functional neurologists utilize very precise tests, including advanced technology and the latest techniques in functional assessment, to examine brain function in specific ways.
A functional neurologist can pinpoint why symptoms are occurring after a concussion and what needs to happen for recovery to progress. In the case of ongoing concussion symptoms, a comprehensive evaluation can often provide answers that have eluded the patient for months or even years. While testing at the time of injury such as a CAT scan or MRI may be used in the ER to check for fractures or swelling that need immediate intervention, concussion injuries are often too mild to be detected by this type of screening. Functional neurologists dig much deeper, evaluating potential problem areas one by one.
Once it is clear how the brain may best be helped to recover, therapeutic support can begin to promote healing. Functional neurology utilizes therapies that gently stimulate or calm specific parts of the nervous system or brain. Sensory experiences can encourage the formation of new connections thanks to neuroplasticity. This is the ability of the brain to change and adapt, for connections between cells to reorganize. Recovery and healing is therefore a dynamic process. There are no side-effects with the type of therapeutic support functional neurologists rely on for concussion recovery. Therapies are safe and completely natural, and each patient’s plan of care is customized for his or her unique needs.
Whether you’re seeking the fullest possible recovery from a recent traumatic brain injury or one that occurred in the distant past, functional neurology offers a possible solution. An experienced functional neurologist can make the most of the opportunities available today to facilitate recovery. You do not need to take a ‘wait and see’ approach, or to simply hope rest facilitates healing. Instead, you can be proactive with care that is based on current science.