The Blog

Defining Fatigue: A general definition of fatigue is the “awareness of a decreased capacity for physical and/or mental activity as the result of an imbalance in the availability, utilization and/or restoration of resources needed to perform a given activity”.   In simpler terms, it can be thought of as a discrepancy between effort and reward; the damage sustained from a … Read More

Approximately 1 in 220 pediatric patients seen in the emergency room is diagnosed with a concussion and 30-50% of these concussions are sports-related. With regards to high school sports, 9% of all injuries lead to concussion, and it appears that boys experience more sports-related concussions overall, but girls are at an increased risk when comparing similar sports.   Symptoms Similar … Read More

Healthy eating patterns are pivotal for overall health,  and when an injury or an illness occurs, it becomes crucially important to assess  the quality of our diet on our path to recovery. Nutrition is a vital component of post-concussion recovery as the body and brain needs adequate nutrients to recover.   What nutrients should you consume during post-concussion recovery?   … Read More

Insomnia is one of the most commonly reported symptoms after a concussion. Approximately 30-70% of concussed individuals report sleep disturbances following an injury. These sleep disturbances are often categorized as either excessive sleepiness during the day, insomnia, or feeling unrefreshed when waking up in the morning. Overall, 40-65% of the individuals who have sustained concussion are experiencing insomnia. What Is … Read More

Seeing your loved ones recover from a traumatic brain injury can be stressful and overwhelming, especially if you are not sure how you should be helping. This can be especially difficult because a concussion is an invisible injury, meaning that the physical symptoms experienced cannot be seen by other people. On top of those invisible symptoms, patients also experience psychological … Read More

The consequences of concussions can be traumatic and complex. Specifically, concussions are correlated with certain long-term disabilities among adults and children. For instance, concussion patients commonly report suffering from vertigo. What is Vertigo? Vertigo is the illusion that you or your surroundings are spinning, rotating or moving, despite actual movement.  Many individuals will have trouble walking and/or lose their balance … Read More

Post-concussion impairments to neurocognitive functioning are primarily seen in the following areas: attention/concentration, memory and judgement/problem solving, which commonly require the utilization of working memory. For those with a concussion, it may feel like struggling to pay attention, learning or remembering things, straining to find the right words to say, or having difficulties engaging in conversations. More broadly, it can … Read More

If you speak to someone who has experienced a traumatic head injury, they may say they are experiencing ‘‘spinning spells”, feeling ‘‘lightheaded’’, or being ‘‘unsteady in the dark.” In fact, balance problems are among the most commonly reported symptoms following a concussion. Between 23% to 81% of people report feeling dizzy in the first couple of days after a concussion. … Read More

Research shows that approximately 43% of individuals who have sustained a concussion experience light sensitivity and 50% experience sound sensitivity. Sound sensitivity, also known as phonophobia and light sensitivity, which is alternatively known as photophobia, are two of the primary physical symptoms in post-concussive patients.   The discomfort and pain experienced with phonophobia and photophobia, often results in the disruption of … Read More

Attending to the psychological, cognitive, and emotional strain that occurs as a result of a concussion is as important as the physical and neurological symptoms to achieve a full recovery. A very promising approach to overcoming psychological stress is mindfulness meditation: the act of being completely present and focusing your attention on the current bodily sensations and your breath. One … Read More