Concussions, Lingering Symptoms, and the Missing Link: Your Neck

A concussion is often labeled a “mild” brain injury, but if you or a loved one has experienced one, you know the effects can be anything but. While many people recover within a few days, others face lingering symptoms that can stretch into weeks, months, or even years. If this sounds familiar, you may be dealing with post-concussion syndrome (PCS)—a frustrating and sometimes debilitating condition that persists after a head injury. 

You may be wondering how concussions, PCS, and chiropractic care relate to each other. After all, most treatments focus solely on the brain. However, at Atlas Specific, we believe in looking beyond symptom management and exploring an often overlooked piece of the recovery puzzle: the neck. 

What Is a Concussion?

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that occurs when a sudden impact causes the brain to move or twist within the skull. Common causes include car accidents, sports injuries, falls, or even minor bumps to the head or neck.

What are the Symptoms of a Concussion?

The Initial symptoms of a concussion might include:

Headaches

Confusion

Dizziness

Blurred vision

Nausea

Temporary memory loss

Most people recover fully within a few days or weeks. But for others, these symptoms linger—sometimes intensifying—long after the injury has healed. That’s when the diagnosis may shift to post-concussion syndrome (PCS). 

How Does PCS Differ from a Concussion? 

While initial symptoms may subside within days, many people go on to experience PCS—a collection of persistent physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms that continue long after the injury appears to have healed. Broken down into their three types, common symptoms of PCS can include:

Emotional symptoms

Anxiety

Dealing with symptoms like light sensitivity, migraines, and sensory overwhelm—especially in the middle of a busy day—can take a severe emotional toll and often leads to increased anxiety.

Depression

For many concussion patients, the emotional strain of lingering symptoms can lead to depression, an often long-lasting challenge that may persist even after the physical injury has healed.

Cognitive Symptoms

Slower thinking process

Symptoms like slowed thinking or difficulty recalling information are common after a concussion, making even simple tasks feel mentally draining.

Memory loss

Brain trauma can lead to short-term memory loss and persistent brain fog, often accompanied by fatigue that feels difficult to explain or manage.

Concentration problems

Many concussion patients experience difficulty concentrating, often struggling to process visual and auditory input clearly, which can make everyday tasks feel overwhelming.

Physical symptoms

Fatigue

Fatigue is a common and often misunderstood symptom after brain trauma, which is experienced by roughly 10% of patients. It is frequently linked to poor sleep quality, chronic stress, or the brain simply working harder to function after injury.

Changes in vision quality

Blurry, spotty, or otherwise altered vision is a common lingering symptom of post-concussion syndrome, affecting nearly half of all patients recovering from head trauma.

Vertigo and dizziness

Vertigo, spinning sensations, and persistent lightheadedness are common after a concussion, sometimes resolving quickly, but often lingering long after the initial injury.

Light or sound sensitivity

Sensory sensitivity is a frequent complaint after concussion, with changes in light or sound often triggering symptoms like headaches, dizziness, or migraines.

Headaches and migraines

Headaches and migraines affect up to 90% of those with post-concussion syndrome, and the risk increases for individuals with a history of repeated injuries or head trauma.

Sleep issues

Concussions and PCS often disrupt sleep, causing insomnia, nightmares, or poor rest, which can interfere with the brain’s natural healing process and prolong recovery.

PCS symptoms can be frustratingly vague and difficult to treat, especially when conventional imaging doesn’t reveal any abnormalities. But what if the root cause isn’t just in the brain, but in the neck?

The Hidden Link Between Concussions and Your Neck

What many people don’t realize is that concussions almost always involve some degree of neck trauma. Even if the primary impact was to the head, the sudden motion can strain or misalign the upper cervical spine—the vertebrae at the very top of the neck. This area is particularly important because:

• The atlas (C1 vertebra) supports the head and protects the brainstem.

• A misalignment can disrupt nervous system function, fluid circulation, and brain-body communication.

• These disruptions may contribute to symptoms like headaches, dizziness, brain fog, fatigue, and sensory sensitivity.

So while the brain might recover, the underlying misalignment in the neck can continue to cause problems, often without being detected by standard imaging or tests.

How Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care Can Help

At Atlas Specific, we take a focused approach to chiropractic care that begins with the upper cervical spine. By using precise, gentle corrections to restore proper alignment in this critical area, we help reduce pressure on the brainstem, allowing the nervous system to function more efficiently.

This approach doesn’t treat concussions directly, but it can help the body restore balance and support natural healing, especially when symptoms seem stuck in a cycle. If you're searching for a Durango chiropractor who can address the deeper structural issues behind post-concussion symptoms, we’re here to help.

You Deserve a Complete Recovery

Lingering concussion symptoms aren’t something you should have to “just live with.” And if you’ve been told everything looks normal, but you don’t feel normal, it might be time to look beyond the brain and consider the neck.

At Atlas Specific Upper Cervical Chiropractic in Durango, we work to uncover the root causes behind long-term symptoms and support your body’s natural ability to heal.

Reach out today by clicking the link below, visiting our Durango office, or calling us at 970.259.6803 to schedule a free consultation and explore whether upper cervical care could be the missing link in your recovery.

Notice of Disclaimer:

We are doctors of upper cervical chiropractic, but we are NOT necessarily YOUR doctors. All content and information on this website is for informational and educational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice, and reading or interacting with this site does not establish any form of patient-doctor relationship. Although we strive to provide accurate information, the information presented here is not intended as a substitute for any kind of professional advice and you should not rely solely on this information. Always consult a professional in your particular area of need before making medical decisions.