Concussion Doctor Near Me | Charlotte NC

When deciding what health care provider you should see following a concussion injury it is important to understand what a concussion actually is, so let’s give you a quick breakdown of what goes on in your body during and after a concussion injury.

To understand a concussion we will first discuss a healthy brain. In our brain, we have neurons “brain cells”. These brain cells communicate with each other on a constant basis through nerve impulses. When we think of something or want to move our body a nerve impulse comes in and is sent across a number of other neurons to make it happen.

Nerve impulses are sent by the exchange of molecules inside and outside of the neuron. So, the impulse comes in, molecules exchange and an action potential or other impulse is sent out.

These neurons and our brain can be thought of as the consistency of Jell-O. When a concussion occurs our brain moves around inside our skull and just like Jell-O moving on a shaking plate the brain contorts and moves. Now the brain moving in the skull isn’t enough force to cause cell damage, so there isn’t any breaking of neurons or structural damage but it does cause the neurons to stretch which leads to an exchange of molecules and you get millions of action potentials “impulses” occurring at once.  This leads to commonly reported symptoms such as

• loss of conciseness
• confusion
• dizziness
• balance problems

These are commonly seen after an acute concussion.

"Why am I still experiencing symptoms when the initial imbalance in molecules normalizes quickly after an injury? And how does my choice of provider play a role in this?

Understanding this is crucial because concussions are functional injuries; they don't manifest as visible structural damage. The term 'function' refers to how your body moves and interacts with the external world. Concussions affect several body systems, leading to symptoms and prolonged recovery if not properly addressed.

Numerous studies have highlighted the significance of seeking the right healthcare provider within the first week after the injury. Doing so not only speeds up recovery but also significantly reduces the risk of developing 'Post Concussion Syndrome'.

As we discussed concussions are functional injuries meaning they do not show up on imaging such as CT, MRI, or X-ray.

So if there is not sign of dysfunction or damage why do I have symptoms? When will I know I have fully recovered?

Concussions are functional injuries meaning that the initial injury causes several dysfunctions in the body as a result.