Health

"Cutting" Out Chronic Headaches After Concussions

FLORIDA — BACKGROUND:  A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that alters the way your brain functions. Effects are usually temporary, but can include problems with headache, concentration, memory, judgment, balance and coordination. Although concussions usually are caused by a blow to the head, they can also occur when the head and upper body are violently shaken. These injuries can cause a loss of consciousness, but most concussions do not. Because of this, some people have concussions and don't realize it. Concussions are common, particularly if you play a contact sport, such as football. But every concussion injures your brain to some extent. This injury needs time and rest to heal properly. Luckily, most concussive traumatic brain injuries are mild, and people usually recover fully. (Source: MayoClinic)


TYPES/SIGNS: 
Signs and symptoms of a concussion may include: Headache or a feeling of pressure in the head, temporary loss of consciousness, confusion or feeling as if in a fog, amnesia surrounding the traumatic event, dizziness or "seeing stars", ringing in the ears, nausea or vomiting, slurred speech, and fatigue. (Source: MayoClinic)


TREATMENT: 
Rest is the best way to allow your brain to recover from a concussion. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends both physical and mental rest for children. This means avoiding general physical exertion as well as activities that require mental concentration, such as playing video games, watching TV, texting or using a computer. School workloads should also be temporarily reduced. For headaches, use acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Avoid other pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and aspirin, as there's a possibility these medications may increase the risk of bleeding. If you or your child sustained a concussion while playing competitive sports, ask your doctor or your child's doctor when it is safe to return to play. Resuming sports too soon increases the risk of a second concussion and of lasting, potentially fatal brain injury. No one should return to play or vigorous activity while signs or symptoms of a concussion are present. Experts recommend that children and adolescents not return to play on the same day as the injury. (Source: MayoClinic)


NEW SURGERY FROM THE DOCTOR'S PERSPERCTIVE:  "
What we do is make an incision after the opening which is accessing just plain sub continuous tissues, and then you are approaching the areas were nerves actually live," Ivica Ducic, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Plastic Surgery and Neurosurgery, Director of Peripheral Neurosurgery in Georgetown, told Ivanhoe. " You free the fasual layer, which is just a coat over the muscles, but due to trauma it gets to be stiffer. Instead of just being a nice envelope around the nerve, it starts pinching the nerve and pressing it, and the nerve protests and gives you the headache or migraine. If the oson atomically intra-operatively defines variations or pressure by any other structure of vessels or a portion of the muscle, we would free up that as well."