Effective Physical Therapy: Knockout Concussion Relief
Concussion pain can be a real headache! From head and neck pain to nausea to light sensitivity, the aftermath of a concussion can make it difficult to dance through life. At A Life in Balance, we provide physical therapy customized to your needs. We'd love to take part in your healing journey by teaching you to tune into the pain in your body and learn ways to counteract it both inside and outside our clinic. Here’s how our physical therapy services helped one young dancer continue enjoying the activity she loves most.
Meet Lauren: How Physical Therapy Got This Dancer Back on Her Feet
Lauren is a 12-year-old competitive dancer who consistently shines in the top 5 at competitions. Recently, while rehearsing lifts, she had a scary fall on her neck. And if that wasn't enough, during the same practice, she took a tumble on her head, potentially aggravating the injury. As a fierce competitor, Lauren was determined not to let this setback hinder her dream of becoming a professional dancer.
Despite her unwavering determination, recurring symptoms started affecting Lauren's performance, she took a family friend's advice to seek help. Enter A Life in Balance, the place she was recommended to.
Lauren arrived with a constant headache that made concentrating in school an uphill battle, and she felt constantly fatigued, longing to get back to her usual self. What she needed was a team as passionate about her recovery as she is about her dancing. Fortunately, that's precisely what she found with our physical therapists.
It turned out that Lauren had some compensation issues in her neck, shoulders, and back muscles that were triggering headaches and affecting her posture and balance. On top of that, improving her breathing patterns became crucial to maximize oxygen intake and energy levels during her performances.
So what's the most important thing Lauren learned from this whole experience? "Learning about how my breathing affects my whole entire body." Thanks to the expert physical therapy she received at ALIB, her muscles finally started to release their tension. Additionally, she learned valuable techniques to breathe from her diaphragm and use meditation to relax both her body and mind.
Lauren's advice to fellow athletes and dancers now echoes the wisdom she gained: "Don't always push through the pain; it is better to get it checked out so that you can take care of your body properly." It's a lesson she carries with her every day as she continues to pursue her passion for dancing, stronger and more determined than ever before.
Understanding Concussive Pain and Recovery
Concussions can lead to a range of distressing symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue, confusion, nausea, memory loss, and sensitivity to light and sound. These symptoms can persist for weeks or even months, but there are ways to alleviate their severity. As demonstrated in Lauren's case, these symptoms can significantly affect your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Our team is dedicated to assisting you in finding exercises and making lifestyle changes that expedite your journey back to high performance, whether it be on stage, at work, at school, or anywhere else.
To start, we always assess the neck for muscular dysfunctions first because concussions require more force than a whiplash injury, making it highly likely that there are musculoskeletal limitations that need to be addressed. These issues can also contribute to headaches and dizziness. Speaking of dizziness, headaches, and/or vertigo symptoms, it is crucial to address vestibular and oculomotor dysfunctions, as well as any autonomic dysregulation.
Lastly, and of utmost importance, patients recovering from concussions must gradually progress through exercise, being mindful to stop the activity if symptoms reappear. Concussions are a physiological reaction that necessitates rest to return to a regulated state before moving forward. Thus, listening to the body is vital during the recovery process.
Concussions are categorized as mild traumatic brain injuries resulting from a sharp blow, bump, or knock to the head, often leading to temporary unconsciousness. For someone like Lauren, who has been dancing for six years, this injury can create uncertainty and doubt about their future. Nevertheless, with the right care and support, a path to recovery can be paved.
Do You Need Help Fully Recovering from a Concussion?
Lauren appreciates all the help she received and recalls her favorite exercise, "You lay on the bosu ball tummy down, and lift your arms high, middle, and back, while breathing.” Not only does the budding dancer feel that physical therapy helped her recovery, but she also thinks it's made her a better dancer, especially the breathing techniques she learned.
"My injury was not debilitating, but with ALIB PT, I've learned how to breathe better and hold less tension in my body while dancing," Lauren beams.
Patients like Lauren make every moment we work at ALIB well worth the effort. Contact us today at our office in Flemington, NJ to set up a free consultation with one of our experienced therapists!
