Ask Dr. Nick
On today’s episode, Dr. Nick talks about dysautonomia and how it can be the cause of many symptoms following a concussion. Dysautonomia is simply dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. There are two branches: sympathetic (“fight or flight”) and parasympathetic (“rest and digest”). These branches are located in the central (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral nervous systems; therefore, there are many possible areas of damage, especially following a concussion or whiplash injury. Concussions can cause a variety of symptoms and most of them are related to autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Symptoms of dysautonomia include racing heart, fatigue, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia, gut problems, dizziness, headaches, menstrual irregularities. Check out the video for more in depth information on how concussion can cause dysautonomia and the different treatment options!
Reference: Pertab JL, Merkley TL, Cramond AJ, Cramond K, Paxton H, Wu T. Concussion and the autonomic nervous system: An introduction to the field and the results of a systematic review. NeuroRehabilitation. 2018;42(4):397-427.
