Reading Chiropractor Toby Roberts-Moore at Reflex Spinal Health
The Six Nations Championship is the most important annual event in the international rugby calendar; and it is unusual for a tournament to pass without a high profile concussion case hitting the headlines. So that goes to ask, what is a concussion and how can Chiropractic care link in to it? Chiropractic care for concussion, written by Reading Chiropractor Toby Roberts-Moore,
What is a Concussion?
A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that results in disruption to normal brain function, this can either be due to direct contact to the head, or, where another part of the body is struck with force, causing rapid movement of the head. Concussions can come with a variety of symptoms; including headaches, dizziness, worsening of balance and a disruption to short term memory. (1)
A common misconception is that you have to lose consciousness in order to be concussed, but surprisingly only 10% of reported concussion cases involve being knocked unconscious! (2)
Who is at Risk of a Concussion?
Everyone! Concussions are most commonly seen in contact sports such as rugby, however they can also occur from falls and motor vehicle collisions. It is hugely important that all concussion symptoms are diagnosed and managed appropriately, so ensure safe return to sports, school, and everyday activities.
Children and adolescents are the most susceptible to concussions as they take longer to recover (3), but they are also more prone to serious injury and neurological complications if the injuries are misdiagnosed or incorrectly managed. Children and adolescents with previous concussion history are also up to four times more at risk of sustaining future concussions. (4). All the more reason to be checked out as soon as possible post injury!
How can Chiropractic & Osteopathy manage Concussion Symptoms?
Team Reflex’s Toby packing down
Chiropractic and osteopathy are both non-invasive treatment methods involving spinal manipulation to help aid certain concussion symptoms, but it’s important that your practitioner performs a thorough and in-depth physical assessment, where we will currently rule out all relevant Red Flags, and we may also employ the use of a SCAT6 (Sports concussion assessment tool). Once one of our practitioners are happy with a diagnosis, and that you don’t need to be referred out for further imaging, your practitioner may begin treatment.
There is no universal way to treat and manage a concussion, as each case that comes through the door of Reflex Spinal Health is different; therefore, our practitioners will build the ideal treatment plan for you. We have a team of practitioners who are experienced in helping you recover fast from sports injuries so that we can get you back to doing what you love.
Although chiropractic cannot help in the easing of the trauma to the brain, and cannot improve intracranial symptoms such as nausea, double vision, light sensitivity and lack of concentration, the treatment provided by a chiropractor can help with the secondary effects and symptoms caused by a concussion, such as cervical spine dysfunction, muscle tightness, and fatigue.
Chiropractic Care for Concussion
The important thing to remember, is that a concussion will rarely be attained without any involvement or impact of the 
cervical or thoracic spine (5), therefore even if your concussion symptoms are only mild or moderate, you will likely need to receive treatment on either the cervical or thoracic spine, whilst we relieve your symptoms and restore your function.
A Chiropractor is able to speed up the healing process, increase blood flow to the brain, and also restore your vestibular function. We will do this by using a combination of manipulation, mobilisations, decompression and also soft tissue therapy. This is part of the multidisciplinary approach required to ease and improve your concussion and whiplash symptoms.
Although your concussion symptoms should begin to ease after a few days, it is vital to seek care to ensure there are no long-lasting musculoskeletal complaints post-injury. We will also aim to rehabilitate you effectively and correctly guide you in your gradual return to sport and/or every day activities.
There is a multitude of research that demonstrates the effectiveness of spinal adjustments in relation to concussion symptoms and post-concussion symptoms, two of which I have detailed below (7, 8)
Reference List:
- CDC, C. (2019)What is a concussion?, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/basics/concussion_whatis.html#:~:text=Is%20a%20Concussion%3F-,What%20Is%20a%20Concussion%3F,move%20rapidly%20back%20and%20forth (Accessed: 11 February 2024).
- Ferry, B. and DeCastro, A. (2023) ‘Concussion’,Statpearls publishing [Preprint]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537017/ (Accessed: 2024).
- Gessel, L. and Fields, S. (2007) ‘Concussions Among United States High School and Collegiate Athletes’,National Library of medicine [Preprint]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2140075/ (Accessed: 2024).
- Ierssel, J. van, Osmond, M. and Zemek, R. (2024) ‘11.25 what is the risk of recurrent concussion in children and adolescents aged 5–18 years? A systematic review and meta-analysis’,First Round Abstract Submissions [Preprint]. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2023-concussion.166.
- The concussion blog – how much is the cervical spine contributing to symptoms?(2023) Pure Sports Medicine. Available at: https://puresportsmed.com/blog/posts/the-concussion-blog-how-much-is-the-cervical-spine-contributing-to-concussion-symptoms (Accessed: 11 February 2024).
- Kennedy, E.et al. (2019) ‘Can the neck contribute to persistent symptoms post concussion? A prospective descriptive case series’, Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 49(11), pp. 845–854. doi:10.2519/jospt.2019.8547.
- Ester, E.L. (2003) ‘Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care for a Patient with Chronic Migraine Headaches with an Appendix Summarizing an Additional 100 Headache Cases’,Vertebral subluxation research, 2003, pp. 1–10.
- Olson, H.M., Tunning, M.J. and Boesch, R.J. (2016) ‘Chiropractic management of musculoskeletal symptoms in a 14-year-old hockey player with postconcussion symptoms: A case report’,Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 15(3), pp. 208–213. doi:10.1016/j.jcm.2016.04.006.
