The Hidden Danger of Bumping Your Head

When I'm talking to someone about a chronic pain or injury, one question I ask is whether they've ever hit their head or fallen.

Not many people would associate a blow to the head as a risk factor for injury, but a 2023 review found that a prior concussion increased the risk of ankle sprain or knee ACL injury by 1.5 times (study link at the bottom of this article).

Changes to posture, balance and biomechanics were found to persist for 2 years after the initial concussion, making a musculoskeletal injury more likely.

The Changes Seen After A Concussion

• Decreased postural stability
• Slower gait speed, shorter step length and more time in double leg support when walking
• A more upright posture with reduced hip, knee and ankle flexion (straighter legs) when landing from a jump (a sagittal plane kinematic change)
• Frontal plane kinematic changes - larger knee adduction ie. the knee rotates inwards to a bigger degree

The first 2 changes increase the risk of spraining your ankle, whilst the last 2 changes endangers the knee ACL (anterior cruciate ligament).

The researchers hypothesised the sagittal and frontal plane changes to arise from reduced neuromuscular control of the quadriceps and hamstrings muscles post-concussion.

Motor control of the body to create movement involves these systems:

• Sensory-motor system
• Vestibular system
• Central nervous system
• Musculoskeletal system

All of the above can be affected by a blow to the head.

Postural stability issues can last for 2 months post concussion, whilst the sagittal and frontal kinematic changes that increase the risk of a serious knee ligament injury can persist for 2 years.

What This Study Reveals About Pain Relief and Movement

For me, this interesting study review highlights the following:

• The importance of the brain and nervous system in controlling muscle behaviour and movement patterns
• When the function of the brain is altered, as with a concussion, the way the body moves is also changed
• These biomechanical and postural changes significantly your risk of picking a musculoskeletal injury, such as an ankle sprain or knee ligament damage
• The brain doesn't always regain normal function for months or even years after the initial trauma. By this time, these different adaptive movement patterns will probably have become embedded as compensations you're no longer aware of.

It's also important to note that many people will bang their head, but either not hard enough to get symptoms, or they don't bother seeing a doctor for whatever reason so are never aware they've been concussed.

Then they get a serious musculoskeletal injury months or years later, and wonder how on earth that could have happened?!

This is why it's important for a practitioner to ask for a full life history, all the way back to earliest childhood, and for you to disclose everything you remember even if you don't think it's relevant or important.

The good news is that once you understand the role of the central nervous system in movement, you can retrain the brain to "unlearn" the old, unhelpful biomechanics and re-programme new patterns of moving that get you out of pain and lower your risk of injury.

This is at the heart of my signature pain relief and injury prevention framework "The Befriend Your Body Method for pain relief and relaxation".

The BYB Method is a holistic approach to movement and pain relief, integrating the brain, nervous system and muscle behaviour, that's very different and yet complementary to existing soft tissue and manual therapies, such as physio, osteopath and massage. I like to think of The BYB Method as the missing link that helps you finally find that lasting solution to chronic pain, muscle tension and injury you've been searching for.

WAYS TO WORK WITH ME TO RELIEVE PAIN & PREVENT INJURY

If you're ready to find lasting relief from your pain, I have a variety of options, from free to paid, available:

1) Grab my free E-guide today "How to Get Relief From Back Pain and Muscle Tension in just 10 mins a Day". This informative guide introduces the 3x universal stress responses that lead to muscles getting stuck in contraction and locking you in chronic pain. There's 2x 10 mins video tutorials showing you how to effectively release muscle tension from the front and back of your body in the comfort of your home without expensive equipment or painful stretches. Download for instant access HERE

2) Unlock Your Body breakthrough session

This is a single powerful 1:1 session designed to help you find the root drivers behind your persistent pain. A breakthrough session is ideal f you have a specific pain or injury that you're struggling to resolve, even if you've already tried other treatments.

We'll work together to find new ways of moving without pain. You'll leave with a deeper understanding of what's triggering pain in your body, and a clear action plan to get lasting relief. 

I have a small number of Unlock Your Body breakthrough slots open for October and November, as well as very limited availability for 3 or 6 month 1:1 coaching packages.

Apply HERE  and I'll be in touch to arrange an initial complementary consultation to discuss which option will be a good fit for you. 1:1 coaching with me starts from £40.

3) Pain Relief and Relaxation Techniques for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Workshop

Next date: Sunday 17th November, 1.15pm to 2.45pm (only 7x spaces). **Book your ticket HERE**

Angmering Village Hall  (The Kings Suite)

A friendly and inclusive small group workshop where you'll discover the factors that cause fibromyalgia symptoms, why chronic pain is so hard to resolve even if you've tried the usual treatments, and how to find lasting relief from both conditions. We'll openly discuss the latest research into both conditions and how the findings can help you find relief from your symptoms.

The session will be a blend of informal group discussion and a restorative movement session, where you'll practice gentle exercises that re-programme the nervous system to release tense muscles, reduce stiffness and find new ways of moving without pain. 

After the workshop, you'll have lifetime access to a simple home programme to relieve pain in just 10 minutes a day. 

Click HERE to read all the details and how to book your place.

Other ways you can find help with managing pain or an injury are:

• Book into a Stretch or Pilates class with me - these are a good introduction to the foundational principles of The Befriend Your Body (BYB) Method for pain relief and relaxation. This is my signature framework that I use to help my clients get out of pain and back to the activities they love.
• Get your copy of my free E-guide "How to Get Relief From Back Pain and Muscle Tension in just 10 mins a Day". This introduces the 3x universal stress responses that can keep you stuck in pain, and explains the 4x pillars of The BYB Method. There's also 2x 10 mins video tutorials showing you how to release muscle tension from the front and back of your body in the comfort of your without expensive equipment. Download for instant access HERE
• Subscribe HERE to receive "The Movement Chronicle", a weekly e-newsletter delivering movement and pain relief truth bombs directly into your inbox every Monday morning,

You can connect with me through any of these channels:

• Email at norma@unicornhealthandfitness.com
• Follow me on Facebook and DM me on Messenger https://www.facebook.com/norma.pearsonfitness
• WhatsApp message to 07801 867361.

Study Link

Chou T, Huang Y, Leung W, et alDoes prior concussion lead to biomechanical alterations associated with lateral ankle sprain and anterior cruciate ligament injury? A systematic review and meta-analysisBritish Journal of Sports Medicine 2023;57:1509-1515. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/23/1509