This week we review research published in the Journal of Athletic Training, looking at the importance of checking and correcting and movement deficiencies in the necks of people who have suffered a concussion. The challenge is that since the anatomy is very similar - meaning that the nerves and structures that supply and innervate the brain also have links to the neck. Due to the crossover, concussion and cervical syndrome, as the authors put it, can mimic each other in the way they behave. What We Cover The number of diagnosed concussions due to sport and recreation activities has been steadily increasing during the past few decades, with an estimated 3.8 million concussions occurring in 2014. A concussion is a complex pathophysiologic process that is induced by bio-mechanical forces and affects the brain. Cervical injuries and concussions can share similar mechanisms and nearly identical symptoms or causes. Concussion symptoms may actually be caused by cervical injury, yet their 'treatment' is very different. Patients with cervical injury respond immediately to soft tissue massage, passive stretching, strength training, cryotherapy, thermotherapy, vestibular maneuvers, and cervical check-ups. Patients who have post-concussive syndrome after sport concussion and exhibit symptoms of dizziness, neck pain and tenderness, or headaches may have cervicogenic dysfunction. The importance of an examination and finding the root cause to the problem.
