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Colorado Springs, Colorado. Dr Brad Gulla, a Functional Neurology Practitioner, provides a highly individualized and comprehensive treatment plan for those who have had a concussion.This Concussion Management using Functional Neurology is absolutely essential to a full recovery as Dr. Gulla explains.
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May 16, 2018 /prREACH/ -- For anyone who has a concussion, it is extremely important for them to see a neurological specialist and not rely on just a family doctor or hospital ER to provide the proper diagnosis and treatment. Concussion Management after an injury requires very specialized testing, diagnosis, and individualized treatment plans. No two people are exactly alike, and no two concussions are exactly alike. Proper Concussion management and Functional Neurology is critical to a full recovery for patients with TBI, (traumatic brain injury).
With millions of concussions occurring annually in the United States alone, proper diagnosis and an individualized treatment plan is critical to having a full rocovery. A concussion is a disturbance in brain function caused by direct or indirect force to the head. It is a functional rather than structural injury that results from shear stress to brain tissue caused by rotational or angular forces—direct impact to the head is not required. Signs and symptoms are nonspecific; therefore, a temporal relationship between an appropriate mechanism of injury and symptoms must be determined. There are numerous assessment tools to aid diagnosis, including symptom checklists, neuropsychological tests, postural stability tests, and sideline assessment tools.
The goal of Concussion Management is to allow the brain injury to heal with no residual effects, or permanency. Treatment of concussions differs depending on the level of severity of the injury, the age and pre-injury health of the patient, and the ability of the patient to comply with treatment recommendations. Cognitive and physical rest are the cornerstones of initial management. Concussion management may be organized into 4 categories: Cognitive and physical rest, nutrition and brain food, gentle activation of the brain in the doctor’s office, and home exercises to synchronize brain activity.
Functional Neurology is a healthcare discipline that is focused on observing the subtleties of the human nervous system. The skills of a functional neurologist allow the provider to diagnose both structural and functional neurologic disorders. The treatment provided by a functional neurologist is non-surgical and non-pharmaceutical and is designed to specifically rehabilitate the parts of the brain affected by the concussion. Functional Neurology looks at dysfunction of the nervous system as different levels of proper function or of disfunction, looking for subtle changes in the nervous system. Any delay in instituting treatment may prolong recovery from a concussion, or even result in permanent neurologic deficits.
Although a functional neurological examination is very detailed, it is important to also note that it is noninvasive which means that it can be performed on many different types of patients including those on the autism spectrum, without causing any additional anxiety. The skilled Functional Neurology Practitioner understands and realizes that everything from the patient’s posture, to particular tics, to faulty eye movements, and alignment are all expressions of what is going on in the patient’s nervous system. Although these expressions may be quite subtle, they can also indicate significant disfunction.
Healing or recovering from a concussion takes time. It may take days, weeks, or even months for the condition to resolve. Any person who may have had a concussion needs to see a concussion specialist. Orders for cognitive and physical rest should be followed strictly at home, school, and work. Additionally, children and adolescents are at increased risk of protracted recovery and severe, potential permanent disability (e.g. early dementia also known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy), or even death if they sustain another concussion before fully recovering from the first concussion. Therefore, it is imperative that a child or adolescent is fully recovered from a previous concussion before resuming activities that may result in another concussion.
Chiropractic neurologists are specialists in evaluating the function of the brain and nervous system. Once the deficit has been diagnosed, a treatment protocol is implemented to increase the potential of the brain and correct the brain asymmetry. Each case is different just as each patient is unique and will require an Individualized Treatment Plan.
It is the treatment that separates chiropractic neurology from medical neurology. While medical neurologists utilize synthetic drugs to affect the system, the chiropractic neurologist may utilize treatment involving physical modalities that are non-invasive and non-surgical. Chiropractic adjustments of the spine and skeleton, cognitive exercises, visual and auditory stimulation, spinning and balance exercises, eye tracking exercises, and eye light therapy are just a few of the therapies utilized by the chiropractic neurologist to make changes to the nervous system.
Dr. Brad Gulla, DC, Founder of The Concussion Place offers services from a variety of skilled practitioners under one roof. The clinic is designed to treat concussive injury in a comprehensive manner, limiting the need for patients to present to multiple provider offices each week, saving valuable time, energy and medical expense. As a highly skilled Functional Neurology Practitioner, Dr. Gulla recognizes the need for individualized care and treatment for each patient.
The Concussion Place is located at 3425 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Suite 105, Colorado Springs, CO 80918. For more information, to schedule an appointment, or to contact Dr. Brad Gulla, please call (719) 380-8055 or visit the website at https://theconcussionplace.com/
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