Post Concussion Syndrome Treatment

The brain is a highly metabolic organ, meaning that it uses up a considerable amount of calories. In fact, despite only weighing about 2% of your bodyweight, the brain uses about 20% of the body’s energy. After being concussed, the brain’s ability to use glucose as a fuel supply is severely diminished, leading to a variety of troubling symptoms.
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What Is Post Concussion Syndrome?

Post concussion syndrome is typically the result of a head injury. This syndrome includes symptoms that persist for a period of time after the initial head injury ranging from weeks to months, but sometimes up to years later.

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What Are Symptoms Of Post Concussion Syndrome?

Symptoms of post concussion syndrome can vary from person to person and can manifest as neurological symptoms like headaches, dizziness, balance issues, memory issues, to mental emotional symptoms like anxiety and/or depression.

Not all people who experience a concussion will experience post-concussion syndrome, however those with previous head trauma may be at higher risk.

Symptoms of post concussion syndrome can include:

  • Headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Irritability
  • Anxiety
  • Depressed mood
  • Insomnia or sleeping too much
  • Loss of concentration
  • Decreased memory
  • Noise and light sensitivity
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Risk factors of post concussion syndrome:

  • History of head trauma or concussions
  • Symptoms of early headache after the concussion
  • Mental changes after the concussion i.e. brain fog, fatigue, amnesia
  • Younger or older age
  • History of headaches or migraines
  • Female

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Naturopathic Post Concussion Syndrome Treatment

Natural Methods To Help Aid Recovery

Gut Brain Connection

The gut and brain are intimately connected through the vagus nerve and we know that many neurotransmitters are manufactured in the gut. The gut plays an enormous role in the health of our brain, especially when dealing with head trauma. In fact, research shows that within several hours of head injury, the gastrointestinal lining becomes permeable aka “leaky gut”. Leaky gut promotes inflammation throughout the body and slows the healing process. The inflammation in the brain from the head trauma is exacerbated by the inflammation in the gut which can turn into a vicious cycle if not taken care of. It is important to work with a doctor who has a good understanding of digestive health to identify what is causing leaky gut and tailor a treatment plan for you.
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Anti-inflammatory Diet

Inflammation is the name of the game when talking about post concussion syndrome treatment. When neurons are injured from trauma, glial cells within the brain turn on.

These glial cells are needed to clean up cellular debris, however glial cells tend to stay activated long past this “clean up” phase and cause unnecessary inflammation.

The diet plays a large role in the amount of inflammation we have in our body and brain, and adhering to a targeted anti-inflammatory diet can make a tremendous difference in symptoms and recovery time.

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Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet has gotten mixed reviews in the past several years, however if done correctly it can have tremendous benefits as a post concussion syndrome treatment option. A targeted ketogenic style anti-inflammatory diet may be indicated depending on the severity of symptoms.

Being in the state of ketosis means that the body and brain are primarily utilizing ketones as a fuel supply instead of glucose i.e. sugar. Since after being concussed the brain becomes much less able to utilize glucose as fuel, the ketogenic diet can provide much needed energy to the brain during this recovery time. Burning ketones is also a cleaner form of burning energy than glucose and creates less free radicals, leaving the brain with more resources to repair itself.

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Anti-inflammatory Compounds

The connection between brain injury and inflammation has been known for many years. Inflammation is one of the body’s responses to an injury. After brain injury, several pro-inflammatory cytokines are upregulated: interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF).

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Some level of inflammation is needed in order to stimulate the healing process, however, prolonged and excessive inflammation can lead to increased symptoms and delayed recovery. There are many natural compounds that can be a part of post concussion syndrome treatment which can decrease levels of inflammation in the body. You may want to talk to a naturopathic doctor to discuss if options like curcumin, resveratrol, and omega-3 fish oil are right for you.

IV Therapy Treatments To Aid With Post Concussion Syndrome

NAD+ IV Therapy

NAD+ IV Bag

Having adequate levels of NAD+ helps to prevent brain cell death after traumatic brain injuries, while also reducing oxidative stress and improving mitochondrial metabolism. NAD+ IV therapy is one of the most effective ways to restore NAD+ levels, thereby improving mitochondrial energy and improving brain function.

NAD+ is heavily involved in energy production, mitochondrial health, and overall brain function. NAD+ is synthesized from nicotinamide (vitamin B3) in our body, however NAD+ levels decline with the oxidative stress that occurs after concussion.

Glutathione IV Therapy

san diego naturopathic glutathione iv bag

Glutathione is the body’s master antioxidant. Head trauma can quickly deplete glutathione levels, leaving us more vulnerable to oxidative stress.

This increase in oxidative stress can exacerbate symptoms and lead to longer recovery times.

Glutathione IV therapy is the most effective method of increasing levels of glutathione in the body, reducing the levels of inflammation in the body, specifically the brain, which leads to less oxidative damage.

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Testing For Post Concussion Syndrome

Diagnosis Mainly Based Upon Symptoms And History Of Head Trauma

While there is no definitive test for post-concussion syndrome, the diagnosis is mainly based upon symptoms and the history of head trauma. It can be extremely frustrating to be suffering from vague and lingering symptoms and unfortunately many people are told there is nothing to do except rest and wait.

We want to encourage you that there are many post concussion syndrome treatment options available that can be very effective for most people.

Some or all of these markers being out of balance can lead to impaired recovery and longer symptoms:

  • Inflammatory markers i.e. homocysteine, CRP
  • Leaky gut markers i.e. zonulin, occludin
  • Omega 3 status
  • Micronutrient testing i.e. B12, zinc, copper, magnesium, glutathione
  • Vitamin D
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Conventional post concussion syndrome treatment:

  • Rest
  • Minimize light and noise exposure
  • Minimizing stress
  • Migraine or pain medications
  • Antidepressants or psychotherapy may be offered

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