The Hidden Injury After a Concussion: Why the Neck Is Often the Missing Piece

Omaha Sports Chiropractor and Sports Injuries

Most people think of a CONCUSSION as a brain injury—and it is—but what often goes unrecognized is that concussions almost always involve a neck injury as well. When the head snaps forward, backward, or sideways during impact, the cervical spine absorbs a tremendous amount of force. The ligaments, discs, and joints of the neck can be strained or destabilized in the same instant the concussion occurs.

Unfortunately, standard concussion evaluations rarely include a detailed structural assessment of the neck. Patients are sent home to “rest,” but the underlying cervical injury is never addressed. Over time this leads to chronic neck pain, tightness, and a breakdown in normal biomechanics. Months or even years later, patients are still dealing with headaches, dizziness, pressure behind the eyes, and concentration issues—and they are told it is “just post-concussion syndrome.”

At Green Chiropractic and the Omaha Headache Clinic, we see this pattern daily. Many of our patients are adults who suffered a sports concussion in their teens or twenties and have never felt the same since. When we evaluate the neck structurally, we often find misalignment, ligament strain, loss of normal curve, or joint fixation that was never corrected.

Once the neck injury is identified and properly treated, their long-standing headaches and head pressure finally begin to resolve. If you have a history of concussion and ongoing head pain, your neck may be the missing link.