Post-Concussion Syndrome

If you’ve suffered a head injury… and you’re still suffering the effects—symptoms labeled post-concussion syndrome, such as headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears, fatigue or difficulty concentrating… this will be the most important article you’ve ever read. You will learn something that I promise you will have you scratching your head in disbelief, because nobody has ever told you about it (or even considered looking for it)… something that once I explain it to you… will give you realistic hope for a better quality of life.

Have you been told there’s no actual treatment for post-concussion syndrome… and that it is not known why the symptoms persist? Some doctors do not even acknowledge that post-concussion syndrome exists. They believe your symptoms are psychological. Others choose to merely mask the symptoms with drugs… while still others suggest you need “behavioral therapy.” Consider that many health care practitioners are dumbfounded as to why some people who have a traumatic brain injury develop PCS, but others understand. This is a subject matter that has been hotly debated for 200 years or so.  
 

What is a concussion?

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that typically happens from a blow to the head. You don’t have to become unconscious to suffer a concussion.  Many people who suffer concussions experience lingering symptoms for some time after the initial injury.

What is a syndrome? A syndrome is a set of medical signs and symptoms which are correlated with each other. They are typically associated with a particular disease or disorder. When a syndrome is paired with a definite cause; it becomes a disease. 

The diagnosis of post-concussion syndrome is commonly made when the symptoms from a concussion last for more than three months after the initial injury. 

Sometimes this diagnosis is made when symptoms do not show up until a week or more after the trauma. The most common symptoms are headaches, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. Some people suffer ringing in the ears (tinnitus), fatigue, anxiety, depression or decreased attention span. 

An Internet search results in most sources suggesting that PCS tends to go away by itself after a while.  But what about when it doesn’t?  If you surf the web in search of answers for PCS, you’ll learn that the symptoms can change over time. I find it disturbing how many people are labeled as having post-concussion syndrome. Folks should be suspicious that something is being overlooked. The symptoms of post-concussion syndrome are common to other health conditions; it seems there is clearly a high risk of misdiagnosis. However, I think this is so for another extremely important reason:

The same symptoms getting diagnosed as post-concussion syndrome can be caused by an undetected injury to the UPPER NECK!
 

While all the attention has been put on the brain and skull, the upper neck has been ignored. In my experience, the effects of a whiplash type injury can be exactly the same as those of a head injury. 

An Internet search results in most sources suggesting that PCS tends to go away by itself after a while. But what about when it doesn’t?  If you surf the web in search of answers for PCS, you’ll learn that the symptoms can change over time. I find it disturbing how many people are labeled as having post-concussion syndrome. Folks should be suspicious that something is being overlooked. The symptoms of post-concussion syndrome are common to other health conditions; it seems there is clearly a high risk of misdiagnosis. However, I think this is so for another extremely important reason:

The same symptoms getting diagnosed as post-concussion syndrome can be caused by an undetected injury to the UPPER NECK!
 

While all the attention has been put on the brain and skull, the upper neck has been ignored. In my experience, the effects of a whiplash type injury can be exactly the same as those of a head injury. 

Is this complicated or strange? I hardly think so. The problem seems to be that when a person gets clunked in the head, the diagnosis and treatment becomes so focused on the head, that everybody forgets about the upper neck that supports the skull. 

You can very easily have a neck injury, but not have any neck PAIN. But the neck must not be ignored in cases of concussions, but sadly, it frequently is! 

It is virtually impossible for the upper neck to NOT be affected from head trauma!
 

In a common scenario, a victim of a head injury will be thoroughly examined at the hospital and treated for any emergency wounds. X-ray, MRI and CT-Scan are wisely utilized, with emphasis on broken bones and brain injury. Of course these matters should be attended to right away. But what about afterwards? What about after any brain injury, broken bones or other structural damage has been ruled out? What if your neck doesn’t hurt right away?
 

One of the most overlooked and critical aspects of human health and wellness is the upper neck (upper cervical spine). The first bone of the neck is called the atlas vertebra.  It was named atlas for very good reasons by ancient Greek anatomists: it weighs merely 2 ounces… but is responsible for holding up the skull, which can weigh between 9-17 pounds!  
 

A blow to the head can easily knock the Atlas Vertebra the tiniest bit out of its normal position (holding your head literally on straight). This has been proven to result in many of the symptoms that are being categorized and labeled as post-concussion syndrome. It’s also not unusual at all for a person to have a neck injury, but not suffer any pain for quite some time after the incident.

The bottom line: a neck injury can be overlooked. Post-concussion syndrome may, in some cases be given as a diagnosis for a hidden injury of the upper neck. My practice is devoted to these hidden injuries: how to detect them and treat them… without drugs or surgery. This neck secret lies in our ability to specifically detect and treat minuscule physical imbalances between the skull and the upper neck vertebrae. 

The procedure is called Atlas Orthogonal (AO). This astonishing, precision treatment is performed utilizing a specialized sound vibration instrument. It is mathematically calibrated to deliver a safe, painless, split-second sound vibration to the upper neck. This repositions the bones to decrease compression on nerves… without surgery.  

The foundation of the treatment is a meticulous mathematical evaluation. Geometry, trigonometry and physics are the tools of the Atlas Orthogonal procedure (AO). Each person has a unique way that the upper and neck bones shift, based on individual anatomy. Determining treatment specific to each patient is the foundation of Atlas Orthogonal.  
 

If you've suffered symptoms resulting from a traumatic head injury, but you haven't had an upper neck evaluation by a qualified atlas orthogonist (upper cervical specialist); you have NOT done all you can do to try to help yourself.