Concussions impact millions of individuals every year but the majority don’t seek the follow-up care that’s so very important. Have you taken all the steps necessary to heal your brain after a concussion? If not, the information below is important to read. It will give you some insight as to why follow-up care is so important and what can be gained by taking advantage of it soon after a concussion occurs.
Prevention
After a concussion occurs, the connections in the brain that were damaged during the injury can continue to worsen. However, because this progression happens slowly, most people don’t realize what’s going on until symptoms are severe. If you want to fight this, the first step is to prevent the progression of damage. Follow-up care is one of the best ways to do this, as it works to exercise your brain in order to build new connections and bridge gaps between those that were damaged.
Understanding
Once any degree of brain injury occurs, the body can begin to show signs of distress due to signals and connections that have been damaged. This could mean blurry vision, trouble remembering simple things (like where you put the keys), problems with fine motor skills, being quick to anger, and many other symptoms. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize that concussions can cause this, and will instead blame those symptoms on aging or being tired.
If you don’t understand the reasons why your symptoms are happening, you’ll never be able to do anything about it. Or, like most, you may end up taking medications that don’t actually heal the root cause of the issue. Even if your concussion was mild and you didn’t lose consciousness, it’s better to work with a care provider to learn what damage occurred and how it should be addressed.
Healing
Perhaps the most important reason why who has suffered a concussion should seek follow-up care is because it can help with healing. The personalized therapies that care providers use are incredibly effective and can help make a huge difference in how you feel both now and in the future. When your brain begins to heal, you may also notice you have improved functionality, whether it’s with your memory, your emotions, or your ability to problem solve.
Working to Restore the Brain
When the brain experiences an injury such as a concussion, a lot of damage can happen in a short amount of time. Even those who don’t lose consciousness can experience the after-effects for years, just from one incident. If you want to work towards healing, then follow-up care with an experienced care provider is crucial. Functional neurologists, are examples of the types of professionals you can rely on. Their experience, understanding of the brain, natural therapies and evidence-based care are each important parts of the healing process.