Concussion Symptoms Can Overlap with Neck Injuries

In a new study published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers from the University of Buffalo found that many of the symptoms related to concussion are also common to the neck and/or balance system, known collectively as cervical/vestibular injuries. The research was based on 128 patient responses — some of whom were professional athletes being treated at the University of Buffalo’s Concussion Management Clinic. The purpose of the study was to determine how to distinguish between concussion injury and neck injury, based on their symptoms. “The symptoms for both conditions are so nonspecific that it’s really hard to make a diagnosis based on them,” said the senior author of the study. “Because a concussion is a brain injury, we thought cognitive symptoms would be more likely associated with concussions…Surprisingly, that didn’t turn out to be the case. People who have had neck injuries can also have problems with concentration and with memory.” Even after the researchers conducted a sophisticated statistical analysis, looking at the data in multiple ways, separating the two injuries based on their symptom patterns alone was not fully possible. Although more research is needed, patients whose concussion symptoms have not diminished over time should be further examined for neck and vestibular injury. To read more about this study, click here.