Finding Clarity After the Crash, Part 3: Real Concussion Recovery Stories

Details have been changed or left out to protect patient privacy. Results vary from person to person.

Headaches and light sensitivity, without a head strike

Woman, 30s, rear-ended while stopped. She was turned in her seat to reach her child in the back when she was hit. She did not hit her head. She felt dazed and nauseous, then had daily headaches made worse by screens, light sensitivity, and “information overload” by the end of each day.

• Exam: trouble holding her gaze in one direction, a weaker focusing reflex in one eye, and balance so unsteady we could not safely test it with her eyes closed. “Nauseous and dazed: those are all signs of concussion. Very likely, we did have it.”
• Treatment: neck traction, nerve flossing, a soft neck brace, low-force adjustments, massage twice a week, and a concussion specialist referral.
• Improvement at about 7 weeks: “a solid 50%” better. Headaches went from daily to a couple of times a week. Light sensitivity was “pretty much gone.” Nausea decreased, and her balance improved to only mild difficulty with eyes closed.

Confusion and memory lapses

Woman, 50s, rear-ended at a red light. At the scene she briefly blacked out and could not remember how to use her phone or turn off the car. In the following days she drove to work when she meant to go to the store and left the oven on. She had head pressure, poor concentration, trouble with typing and email, and poor sleep.

• Exam: severe balance difficulty with eyes closed, “a clear sign of a concussion.”
• Treatment: gentle mobilization only (her neck was inflamed), two weeks off work, a collar and braces at night, no sugar or bread, more water, rest at home with family taking over chores, massage, and referrals to a concussion specialist and a vision specialist.
• Improvement at about 5 weeks: she felt “more normal now.” On a symptom-by-symptom recheck, her vision was good and she had no nausea, light or sound sensitivity, ringing, mental fog or irritability. Her shoulder and back injuries still needed care.

Visual overload and a slower reaction time

Young man, about 20, T-boned a car that turned in front of him. Shaken, nauseous and dizzy, with blurred vision and headaches. The ER told him he might have a mild concussion.

• Exam: constant headaches, light sensitivity, blurring when moving between light and dark, mild balance trouble, and grip strength that faded with each trial.
• Treatment: a week off work, cutting out sugar and refined carbs, daily walks, gentle neck extension holds, and a concussion specialist referral.
• Improvement at about 1 month: about 50% better. Balance was back to normal. Headaches were weaker and less frequent. He still had dizzy spells at his busy restaurant job and noticed slower reactions in video games. “That is common, especially with a lot of visual input. There’s a lot of stuff moving around: people, places, sound. It overloads our nervous system.”
• Next step: we found a jaw strain driving his headaches and added gentle jaw adjustments. He returned to light duty with hourly breaks.

Migraines after a head-on collision

Woman, hit head-on in an intersection crash. Before the crash she had about one migraine every three months. After, she had migraines at least weekly with nausea, and a headache after every exercise class.

• Treatment: a gentle top-of-the-neck (C1) adjustment from the front with no twisting, neck decompression, a pelvic belt, a night mouth guard, and a gradual return to exercise.
• Improvement at about 6 weeks: about 60% better. Headaches dropped from at least four a week to one or two, and lasted half as long. She finished a hard hike with no headache.

Spinning, ringing ears and blurry vision

Man, 70s, swerved hard to avoid a car cutting into his lane. Right away he had head pressure and spinning so strong he had to hold on to the car, ringing in his ears, nausea and vomiting, and “smoky” vision.

• Treatment: a week off work, no sweets or starchy carbs, chiropractic care and massage twice a week.
• Improvement at about 1 month: the ringing was gone, headaches were mild and about twice a week, some dizziness remained, and his balance test with eyes closed was normal.

Full recovery

Woman, passenger in a rear-end crash. Confusion, fatigue and headaches, with limited side gaze and a weak focusing reflex.

• Treatment: gentle cranial work, neck decompression, nerve flossing, no sugar for two weeks, and fish oil.
• Improvement at about 9 weeks: 100% improvement, with a normal balance test.

Other patients in the same period: a man with head pressure, light and sound sensitivity and poor concentration was 70 to 80% better at about 10 weeks, with his concentration back to normal. Another man went from moderate balance trouble to “100% recovered” at about 3.5 months.

The emotional side of a crash

Woman, 50s, hit when an oncoming car crossed the center line. She was dazed, dizzy and nauseous at the scene. The next day her ears rang “like your brain’s trying to hear something.” She was fatigued, woke at 2 a.m., and avoided the road where the crash happened.

• Treatment: chiropractic care, no sugar or refined carbs for two weeks, shorter workdays, a concussion specialist referral, and a suggestion of trauma counseling (EMDR).
• Improvement at about 7 weeks: her balance test was normal (“That’s really good. The balance is better”), and she described herself as getting better “in the right direction.”

Children and teens

Teen passenger in a four-car chain-reaction crash. She had nausea and headaches every other day, irritability, and trouble holding her gaze. At about six weeks she was about 50% better: irritability, vision changes and light and sound sensitivity were gone, and headaches were down to one or two short ones a week. Car sickness on winding roads remained, so we discussed visual occupational therapy.

Boy, 9, rear-end crash. Headaches on long drives, sudden dizziness on standing, and almost daily blurry vision. We used gentle cranial and jaw care and home balance drills (“brushing your teeth with your feet together, eyes closed”). By about 14 weeks after the crash his dizziness and blurry vision were gone and he was released from care.

More on children and teens in our separate article:Children’s Concussion After a Car Accident.

When recovery is slower

Not every case is quick, and we tell patients that honestly.

• A young woman whose car was totaled in a side impact had constant headaches, dizziness, and light and sound sensitivity. At six weeks her neck was much better and the flashes of light were gone, but her thinking was slower: “I feel stupid.” She was at about half her normal capacity. We kept her on modified hours with hourly breaks, coordinated with her neurologist, and recommended counseling.
• A woman about a year after her crash still had memory lapses, trouble finding words, and poor balance (“my eyes are not in sync, I’m just floating”). With brain games, eye-movement exercises, a vibration plate, vision rehab and diet changes, she was able to put on a sock while standing on one foot, and crosswords got easier. Dr. Verg told her the brain was “turning the corner.”
• A young woman who was never checked for a concussion after a crash years earlier still had migraines every week or two and nausea when driving. It is never too late to look for the cause.

What these cases show

• Many of our patients were 50% or more better within one to two months, and many reached 75 to 100% at three to four months. Neck, back and shoulder injuries from the same crash often take longer than the concussion symptoms.
• Headaches and light sensitivity often improve first. Memory, processing speed, and car sickness tend to take longer.
• Some people still have balance or thinking problems 10 to 12 months later. They need a team: a concussion specialist, vision therapy, and sometimes a neurologist or counselor.
• Balance with eyes closed is one of the most reliable markers we follow from visit to visit.

Back to the concussion after a car accident overview, or read Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.

Supportive, non-surgical care in Vancouver, WA & Clackamas, OR

If you or a loved one are struggling with lingering headaches, dizziness, or brain fog after a motor vehicle accident, you do not have to navigate recovery alone. At Dr. Verg Chiropractic, we provide comprehensive, non-surgical evaluations tailored to your specific injury history and recovery goals.

What we offer auto accident patients:

• Complimentary new-patient consultation: Discuss your crash history and symptoms with our team to explore whether our non-surgical approach is right for you.
• A concussion screen at every car accident exam, whether or not you hit your head.
• Direct insurance claim handling: We work directly with auto insurance Personal Injury Protection (PIP) claims, handling paperwork so you can focus entirely on healing.
• Multilingual care team: To best serve our diverse local communities in Clark and Clackamas counties, our compassionate staff offers fluent care in English, Ukrainian (Українська), and Russian (Русский).

Visit one of our convenient clinic locations:

• Vancouver, WA clinic: 109 SE 101st Ave, Vancouver, WA 98664. Phone: (360) 203-6000
• Portland / Clackamas, OR clinic: 10001 SE Sunnyside Rd #120, Clackamas, OR 97015. Phone: (503) 386-9819

Call today to schedule your complimentary evaluation and take the first confident step toward lasting recovery.

Medical disclaimer

This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute formal medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical condition or post-accident symptoms. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read in this article. If you suspect you have an acute brain injury or neurological emergency, or wish to adjust prescribed medications or supplements, consult your primary care physician or emergency medical services immediately.

References

The research behind this series is cited in Part 1 and Part 2.