The short answer to this question is yes, you can get a concussion without hitting your head. A concussion is a  traumatic brain injury (TBI). A concussion occurs when your brain moves inside of your head and collides with the interior wall of your skull. A concussion is caused by a blow, bump or jolt that causes the brain to deform or shake inside your skull resulting in changes in the chemistry of the brain, and it could damage brain cells and impair brain function. 

There is a common misconception that the only way to get a concussion is if you hit your head, but that is not true. One strong blow to the body can cause a jarring effect to rattle the brain and result in a concussion, even if the head is not directly hit. Typically, the fluid around your brain offers protection, but when you experience an extremely hard hit—like from a car accident—the fluid doesn’t always provide enough cushioning to prevent your brain from striking your skull

 A concussion can happen many ways without hitting your head, some of the most common ways are: 

• Motor vehicle accidents especially front-end and rear-end accidents when a passenger's head may sway back and forth but does not collide with the steering wheel or dashboard. 

• Falling on a hard surface, or falling from heights such as slipping on wet tile flooring and falling off of a ladder or playground equipment.

• Playing high impact sports such as football, soccer and gymnastics.

• Explosions or concussive blasts, such as those soldiers may face

• Physical assaults such as hitting, pushing or shaking aggressively.

Studies from the CDC show that 14.3% of concussions caused by accidents are those of which a passenger has not stricken their head. Males are 1.5 times more likely to sustain a TBI than females, This higher incidence of traumatic brain injuries among males is especially higher during young adulthood.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, motor vehicle crashes were the third-leading cause of traumatic brain injuries, according to a study conducted from 2006 to 2010. Recent studies from cdc.gov show that a typical recovery period for a concussion is 10-12 days. Some concussion victims may recover if they get the proper care and rest. Some however, will not recover as easily (especially if they do not seek out medical treatment) and may suffer from long-lasting disrupting symptoms. If you do not follow the guidelines set by your doctor you could develop a condition called Post-Concussion Syndrome. Post-Concussion Syndrome is where an individual could have longer lasting and more severe signs and symptoms of a concussion. This is why individuals involved in a car crash always need to be checked by a doctor following the incident.  Head and neck injury occurs simultaneously due to the delicate complexity between the head and neck region. The upper neck is the connection between the brain and body and is susceptible to injury and misalignment. This connection has Cerebral Spinal Fluid, blood vessels and Brain Stem and nerve pathway to the body. Management of concussion injuries includes physical and psychological therapies as well as upper cervical chiropractic care. (Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research 2011). Misalignment of the upper cervical spine may be associated with neurological and vascular abnormality. Reduction of spinal misalignment has been found to relieve symptoms, restore health and enable a return to participation in regular activities of daily living. (Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research 2012).

The most common symptom of a concussion is a headache, but there are many other signs and symptoms such as: loss of consciousness, memory loss, nausea, confusion or brain fog, unpredictable mood changes, dizziness, blurred vision, unexplained drowsiness. If you have one of these symptoms feel free to give us a call for a consultation, examination and X-rays to see how we can help. Thanks for reading,  Dr. Joe