Whiplash or whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) represent a constellation of symptoms. They are very similar to those reported by patients who have sustained a concussion or minor-traumatic brain injury (mTBI). These shared symptoms include headache, neck pain, nausea/vomiting, dizziness, balance issues, vision problems, and difficulty concentrating. Chiropractic care on the cervical spine has benefited patients with WAD. Is it possible that the same form of treatment can help the mTBI patient also?
Concussion Study
The March 2015 issue of the journal The Physician and Sportsmedicine, researchers reviewed case studies involving five patients with concussion symptoms. Their symptoms didn’t go away within 30 days and had become chronic. The mechanism of injury in three of the cases are sports-related. The other two occurred from a slip and fall and a motor vehicle collision. Treatment focuses on the cervical spine and includes the use of either spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) or mobilization. Active release technique (ART) also stretched tight neck muscles. Exercises were for strengthening the deep neck flexor muscles and/or other surrounding neck musculature.
Case 1
A 25-year-old professional MMA male that’s injured from sparring presented four months after the injury. After three treatments, he reported a significant reduction in symptoms, with full resolution after eight treatments.
Case 2
A 59-year-old female hit the back of her head on the ground after a fall. She presents with a 31-month duration of symptoms that reportedly improved significantly within three months of twice-per-week treatments.
Case 3
A 19-year-old male junior hockey player presents two years after the initial injury. He reportedly experienced an 80% improvement in his symptom after four treatments spread out over a three-week timeframe.
Case 4
A 19-year-old male injured in a car accident presents 14 weeks after the injury. He reports a nearly 50% reduction in symptoms after one treatment and full resolution after eight treatments.
Case 5
A 51-year-old female hockey player is hit on the left side of her head. She presented five weeks post-injury and reported a full resolution of symptoms after three treatments per week for six weeks.
The important point here is that treatment was ONLY at the cervical spine, not the concussion, with excellent results in each case. These findings indicate the need for larger studies concerning the use of conservative chiropractic care for cases of mTBI that don’t resolve within a month’s time.
