Benefits of Massage Therapy – Concussions

Concussions/brain injury  

Definition: 

A concussion is trauma to the brain, or a brain injury.1 

Causes:  

A concussion can be caused by a blow or hit to the head, face or neck, or body that causes sudden shaking of the head. Concussions can happen during sports like hockey, soccer or volleyball, falls, or motor vehicle collisions.  

Symptoms / physical effects: 

Symptoms from a concussion can range from mild to severe depending on the severity of the trauma. Common symptoms are headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, difficulty remembering or thinking, and sleep disturbances. 2 

How MT can help: 

Massage therapy is used to treat the ongoing symptoms associated with concussions, primarily headaches and neck pain that is a result of whiplash that occurs during the injury. Multiple studies have shown that massage therapy is effective for decreasing head and neck pain. Massage therapists will use a variety of techniques, postural training, stretching and strengthening to decrease neck and head pain post-concussion.3 Concussions can be serious and should be assessed by a trained medical professional prior to seeing a massage therapist for symptom relief and concussion protocols should be adhered to.  

References: 

1. Damjanov, I. (2017). Pathology for the Health Professionals 5th ed. Elsevier Inc. P.477. 
2. https://www.panamclinic.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Parachute-Post-Concussion-Information-Sheet.pdf 
3. Fernández-de-Las-Peñas, C., Florencio, L. L., Plaza-Manzano, G., & Arias-Buría, J. L. (2020). Clinical Reasoning Behind Non-Pharmacological Interventions for the Management of Headaches: A Narrative Literature Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(11), 4126.