Hello. I recently had a minor concussion after falling off a snowboard. Didn't go unconscious and had no LOC changes or nausea/vommitting. Just varying degrees of headaches. It is now 1 week post concussion.

My 2 questions:

1) Is it possible to heal 100% from a minor concussion? I read on another thread on here that there is *always* some residual that is left unhealed. Is this true?

2) does nicotine impair healing? I am
An ex smoker and chew 2 pieces of a 4mg nicotine gum at a time currently.

Thanks!

John,

I read you other posts. I don't think your question has an answer that applies to you. You have other issues to consider. I was just telling another poster that getting drunk can affect the brain in ways similar to a concussion. You brain has been compromised and the recent concussion has just added to that condition.

At 1 week post concussion, you can very likely experience a spontaneous recovery.

Nicotine has it's challenges to the brain but I doubt it has much for you to be worried about.

I would suggest you get on the brain health vitamin and supplements regimen posted in the stickies above. Check out post 101 on Nov 8. It has the updated information.

My best to you.

I appreciate your answer Mark. But I do wish you hadn't read my other posts prior to this one as they seem to have directly impacted your answer. Referring to my other posts, that period of my life is over thank god (although some of the residual effects still stand regarding nerve sensitivity), and I have been essentially sober and living a clean life (diet, exercise, etc etc) since then. Where I am now and where I was then is like night and day.

Really, Im looking for an answer one would give to people in general if no prior history was brought into play.

I would just like to know if minor concussions can heal 100% and if nicotine effects healing. Thats all.

Research shows that every concussion has lasting issues. Most of those lasting issues are not manifest except in stressful situations. Sobriety aside, you did damage to your brain . The research on that is solid, too.

The simplest issue is that after a single concussion, subsequent concussions can be suffered from less force and have longer or more serious symptoms. The concussed person may no longer exhibit any symptoms from the first concussion but will still have the residual brain weakness to further trauma. Also, that person will be more prone to a relapse of symptoms when under stress. That stress can be emotional, physical and metabolic/chemical. For example, people who have suffered a concussion have a statistically consistent intolerance for higher altitudes.

Keep in mind that the brain is a three pound mass of nerve tissue. Peripheral nerves have healing capabilities that the brain does not have.

At only one week, it is hardly worth asking but, What symptoms are you having that having you concerned ?

Thanks for your reply Marc.

Well here's the story. After my snowboarding fall, like I mentioned above, I didnt go unconscious at all. I had no dizziness, no nausea, no vomiting, no bright lights. I just felt a little hazy and had a minor headache. I also whipped my neck back pretty hard so the headache could've been from that.

4 hours later I decided to go to the ER just to be 100% sure there wasnt any unnoticed cranial bleeding. The PA there did a neuro check on me and determined I had no neuro symptoms at all. So to be on the safe side she ruled it a minor concussion w/o LOC/neuro changes. She said it was even possible I didnt have a concussion but it was also possible that I did.

So at this point, I honestly can't tell if the symptoms are psychosomatic or not. I guess I kinda feel just a little under 100%, maybe just a tad hazy. But who's to say, if I wasn't concerned I actually had a concussion, would these symptoms still be there or not? Is my mind creating them, connecting the dots? Headaches come and go but seem to usually be associated with neck pain but sometimes not.

So that is how it stands presently. Possibly some minor symptoms which could very well be created out of paranoia of the mind. But nonetheless I wanted to play things on the safe side.

I find it unfortunate to think that just a minor concussion could permanently change someone in the sense they will always be more sensitive and more prone to stress. I would like to think the body is AT LEAST capable of healing 100% from a minor concussion.

Also, I am still wondering if nicotene would impair healing?

Thanks again!

Nicotine could be included with the 'best not to' list of thinks like alcohol, caffeine, MSG and artificial sweeteners. It constricts the small blood vessels which are often most needed by the struggling brain.

I'm confused. If you are exhibiting no concussion symptoms other than occasional head aches, why are you concerned about healing 100% ? Is it just an anxiety issue ?

The brain is the only tissue that does not go through a continuous regeneration. Skin, muscle and bone cells are constantly dying and being replaced. Brain cells are basically lifetime cells. There are possibly some new cells growing slowly over time but this is a slow and minimal process. The challenge to neurogenesis or neuroregenesis is the fact that brain cells are a memory storage system. They store information and processes. Some of those processes are learned over long time spans.

Brain development basically take about 20 years to mature. We'd need to be constantly relearning information if brain cells were regularly dying and being replaced.

I still think you should consider the vitamins and supplements regimen. It will be good for you, especially considering your history and current anxiety. It helps the brain tolerate stress and operate more efficiently.

Well I dont know why anyone wouldn't want to heal 100%, even if symptoms are vague and minor. I does make me somewhat anxious as Im sure we all want our brains operating 100% and waiting through the process of healing can be anxiety provoking, especially if you are not knowledgeable on what you are going through. I also have my state boards for my RN licensure coming up in a month.

I guess I just want to know, that If I do things right on my end, my brain can recover to its pre concussion status. The thought of any kind of permanent residual, be it **forever** more prone to stress or more sensitive to high altitudes, is far from comforting, and frankly feels a bit overboard to even put it like that. One would like to think that there would be enough capability in their body to fully recover from a relatively minor snowboarding fall.

Thank you for your answers so far. I checked out your supplement list. I am currently taking a good number of things on there, including b-12, D3, a vegetarian omega 3 blend, and have the curcumin but dont use it regularly.

If you can think of any more thoughts or insight Im always open.

It sounds like you are being far to picky about your future. The fact that a concussion always leaves a residual injured condition does not mean it will effect your ability to live your life or take your RN boards.

What tells you that your brain is not operating at 100% ? Plus, as I said, the brain after a concussion will struggle when under stress. I did not say that when it is not under stress that it will not be operating at 100% although there is no research to say that, one way or the other.

Understanding the stressors that can cause a concussed brain to struggle can be comforting because it puts a cause to those occasional brain farts and other brain struggles. I would rather understand a cause than go on blindly wondering why I have a struggle from time to time. Even a healthy brain does not function well during stress. Research shows that multitasking is stressful to a healthy brain. Long term stress is a leading cause of things like depression.

One concussion expert has called for the medical profession to make an effort to chart possible concussion in medical records even when there are no current symptoms of a concussion. This is so that future neuro complaints can be put in proper context.

As one about to enter the RN field, learning the risks of workplace stress and related issues should be at the top of your list.

The vitamin regimen has B-50 Complex listed because it is part of the support for proper use of B-12, etc.

If you tore up your knee, would you expect a 100% recovery ? The body is in a constant state of deterioration. Some parts heal better than others. Scar tissue is usually part of the healing process leaving the injured area at less that the original condition.

Does your screen name indicate you are 54 years old ? If so, your brain has been deteriorating for at least ten years.

Gotta disagree on that. I don't think it is picky at all to want to have a 100% recovery from a minor concussion. I think it's a pretty natural response, considering it was diagnosed as minor. I do understand that with some residual I will still be able to live my life and take my boards. But I don't think it is picky or misguided to want and see it as possible to recover on all levels from an injury such as this.

I agree, having the knowledge on what may be contributing to increased stress is definitely comforting and a good thing to have. I am grateful that I have that knowledge in case a scenario did arise.

I can also understand if there would be some residual from incidents like a severe concussion or traumatic brain injury, but to think that from a minor possible concussion from falling off a snowboard with no neuro changes at all, that I will be **permanently forever** more prone to stress and sensitive to high altitudes, seems a little over the top to me. You mentioned tearing up my knee. Well I have seen people recover 100% from torn rotator cuffs through self healing modalities when all doctors told them they are screwed and would never have a chance of recovery without surgery. And in some cases yes, there will be scar tissue, but there are also supplements that can be taken to dissolve scar tissue in order to enable neighboring tissues to regenerate.

Obviously our bodies aren't perfect but I do believe they are capable of 100% recovery and a return to 100% *resiliency* if given the right circumstances (for example, gradual exposure regimens within levels of tolerance can rebuild back to pre-condition levels). To say we are forever destined to a level of mental or physical health/resiliency at a step below pre-injury levels seems pretty self-defeating. Ive seen it be done, so why not always shoot for 100% in stead of limiting yourself to the 95%? Yes of course its important to be realistic but why not aim for a full recovery on all levels? Im not saying it will happen all the time, but I feel like it is definitely possible, especially with lower level injuries.

Oh, and the 1960 refers to something else. I am 32.

You are quite a perfectionist. How about trying some reality? I did not say you will be more prone to stress. Stress is stress. Some just tolerate it less. I said that stress will likely affect you more. We need sleep to recover from daily stress. Good brain nutrition helps the brain tolerate it better. You will still be able to spend time at altitude but if you were to take an ImPACT or other neuropsycholgical test at altitude, your results will show a deficit compared to others who have not suffered a concussion. Your decision making skills will be lessened. Nobody can predict if that deficit will be problematic.

You may have virtually undetectable residual factors but they will be there. Yes, it is great to have a goal of 100% recovery. We all need to have something to shoot for. Please keep in mind that any rehabilitation uses measurable factors to determine levels of healing. My knee that I tore the medial meniscus on in 1972 healed so I could resume my running. But, that minor tear became a major tear years later. My shoulders have healed to useable conditions but my bursitis has never healed to near before injury standards. My broken tib/fib healed but is prone to arthritis at the ankle joint. In all of these injuries, I regained full range of motion with the exception of my shoulders. If I push for full range of motion, then I risk inflaming the bursa.

Do a little research into cartilage. It does not heal very well at all. Especially the meniscus because its only nourishment is the synovial fluid. The synovial fluid contains lubricin (The body's lubricant) that is lost during any knee surgery. The body does not replace it properly or fully so the lubricity of the synovial fluid is forever reduced unless it is artificially supplemented. That loss of lubricity causes the cartilage to deteriorate faster.

Look at nerve fibers. They can grow at 2 to 3 mm per month. But, they will not grow unless there is a myelin sheath in place. The myelin sheath grows extremely slowly if at all.

Look at capillaries. They do not heal well at all. HBOT is often used to assist/encourage capillary repair/growth. But, in the brain, those capillaries are covered with glymph cells that do not heal well, if at all leaving the brain's waste removal system in a weak state.

The axonal damage common to concussions is also problematic. This axonal wiring does not have a road map. They reconnect by happenstance. They keep trying to connect to dendrites but get rejected until the correct dendrite is found. The neurons have as much struggle to repair. There are over 4000 different 'classes' of neurons. Even when there is a regeneration of the proper class of neuron, they still need to be programmed to be functional.

The fact that you are having head aches suggests that your concussion was not as mild as you think. Plus, research shows that there is no direct correlation between intensity of trauma or immediate symptoms and long term results. The only valid stats say that 85% of concussions recover spontaneously in the first few weeks. By recovery, they mean that primarily, those patients stop complaining to their doctors. Those of us with long term concussion symptoms rarely even meet the threshold of being symptomatic by mTBI standards.

There have been multiple recent studies that can show a difference between those who have suffered a concussion and those who have not, even after what appear to be a full recovery. They can see a difference with qEEG/AEP/VEP, high resolution MRI, and some other diagnostic procedures that my damaged mind can't remember. Older research showing this dates back to the 70's.

I suggest that those 100% recoveries, even from the rotator cuff tear you mentioned actually recovered to much less than 100%. That rotator cuff will tear again with less force. A return to full range of motion does not mean 100%. A return to full strength tests do not mean 100%.

My father suffered an almost complete non-displaced fracture of the humeral head. It took 6 weeks of immobilization before he could start rehabbing. He regained better range of motion and better than before strength but developed arthritis.

Check out neuroplasticity. There are many claims about the brain doing some miraculous things. When one looks into the specifics, neuroplasticity is not nearly as miraculous as first presented. The brain has many ways to adapt to injuries. It re-allocates less used resources to greater needs.

There is good research that shows many 'full recoveries' from brain injuries of all levels are really subjects who have learned how to make accommodations and learn work-arounds to the limits of their injuries. I have learned memory tricks to make up for much of my memory limitations.

So, here's to your positive attitude about pursuing a full recovery. You will very likely experience what appears to be a full recovery.

btw, That PA was wrong in saying you may have not suffered a concussion at all. You said you had a head ache and were a little hazy. That is a concussion even if you did not exhibit any symptoms when she examined you. Unfortunately, medical schools are way behind the times.

My best to you.