Dr. Ashley Wilcoxson
Healing from Concussions
Sports are an important part of childhood, they get to socialize and learn values like team work and hard work while providing a source of physical activity. However, sports can put kids at a higher risk of injury, so preparedness is key! Canadian government reported that 64% of emergency visits of 10-18 years old are related to sports and recreational activities. Concussions are especially common among emergency room visits worldwide. That's a lot of injuries children have to recover from!
After an injury, the way the body is cared for can impact how it heals. The healing process

necessitates that all aspects of the damage are analyzed and treated effectively to ensure that the body recovers all proper function. With concussions, not only is the head impacted, but research has shown light on the impact on the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Since the ANS controls our organs, glands, heart, lungs, and more, it is important to monitor children's ANS function following injury. Using heart rate variability (HRV), the impact of concussion injury on the ANS can be measured. An abnormal HRV can show if an ANS is the result of an injury, which can aid in the post injury treatment and recovery.
Neurologically-based chiropractic care helps patients by focusing on nervous system function. The goal of this type of care is to ensure that the body functions an heals at 100% all of the time. Because chiropractic care dramatically improves the function of the nervous system, specifically the ANS (including enhanced HRV scores), it can and should be a crucial element to concussion recovery protocol worldwide. By gently and specifically removing the cause of nervous system interference in the body, chiropractic helps each person heal and function at their best.