If this dynamic is altered or disrupted, the affected brain regions don’t function normally. Under normal circumstances, the brain maintains a complex, dynamic relationship (called neurovascular coupling) between neurons and the blood vessels that supply them with oxygen and nutrients. They can also lead to fatigue, poor sleep quality, and malaise.Ĭoncussions can also affect the vestibular system indirectly by affecting the parts of the brain that control movement and balance. These attacks usually only last a few seconds but can occur multiple times a day. Patients with BPPV experience vertigo, involuntary eye movement (nystagmus), and nausea with sudden changes in position, such as when getting up or looking around. How Does a Concussion Affect the Vestibular System?īPPV usually only happens on one side of the head, but it can happen on both sides.
Even simple activities like walking or standing up can become challenging, with patients describing symptoms like vision problems, imbalance, and dizziness. In contrast, patients with a vestibular disorder notice something is wrong. Under regular circumstances, we are completely unaware of a separate “feeling” coming from normal vestibular function. In contrast to sight and hearing - which are senses that you can readily appreciate by closing your eyes or covering your ears - the impact of the vestibular system is harder to understand. The messages are always present even if you’re not moving, the vestibular system is “feeling” the effects of gravity pushing you down. This includes, among others, the brainstem, cerebellum, thalamus, and cerebral cortex. These sensors send messages through the vestibular nerve to the parts of the brain that control eye movement, balance, and posture. This sensory system plays a role in sensing and providing feedback when you move your head at different angles.
Located in your inner ear, this system includes two types of sensors: It allows us to remain upright and stable when moving. It’s also involved in other crucial functions in our daily lives, including stabilizing our gaze and maintaining posture. The vestibular system senses head and body movements, including rotation, forward/backward, and up/down motion. We are in network for most types of medical insurance. If you live in Provo, Salt Lake City, or anywhere else in the Utah valley area, we can help you recover from your concussion and reduce your chance of long-term symptoms. In this post, we explain more about the vestibular system, what goes wrong after a concussion, and how therapy can help you recover. That way, we’re able to offer a tailored approach to concussion recovery that helps with both physical and cognitive symptoms. We offer a multi-disciplinary approach to treat your concussion by combining vestibular therapy, vision therapy, neuromuscular therapy, cognitive therapy, and cardio exercise. This is why we include vestibular therapy among the treatments we offer at Neural Effects. This approach helps to reduce dizziness, improve balance, and reduce recovery time after a concussion. The good news is that vestibular therapy is highly effective. You can get pills to control dizziness and nausea, but these will not cure the problem. The bad news is that there is no medication to make the vestibular system go back to normal. They may go on to develop post-concussion syndrome (defined as concussion symptoms that persist beyond three months). Often, these patients also experience cognitive problems, such as poor processing speed and reaction time. In fact, patients who report dizziness at the time of the injury are 6-times more likely to have a delayed recovery. Vestibular problems - such as dizziness, vertigo, and nausea after certain movements - are associated with poor outcomes after a concussion. Up to 7 in 10 patients experience dizziness at some point after a concussion, making it one of the most common complaints after a traumatic head injury. Balance is one of those vital functions we take for granted until it’s not working correctly.
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