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Case Reports
. 2023 May 4;8(3):CNC107.
doi: 10.2217/cnc-2023-0004. eCollection 2023 Apr.

Post-concussion syndrome and concussion incidence improved in a pro rugby player following cervical spine rehab: case study and 6-year follow-up

Seth Strauss  1 , Douglas F Lightstone  2 , Curtis Fedorchuk  2 , Robert Pomahac  2 , Paul A Oakley  3 , Deed E Harrison  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Post-concussion syndrome and concussion incidence improved in a pro rugby player following cervical spine rehab: case study and 6-year follow-up

Seth Strauss et al. Concussion. .

Abstract

Aim: To report improvements in post-concussion syndrome and concussion incidence following cervical spinal alignment correction.

Case presentation: A 27-year-old professional rugby player with 20 documented concussions presented with abnormal cervical spinal alignment and post-concussion syndrome. After 30 sessions of cervical rehabilitation, health outcomes improved. Post-treatment radiographs showed improved cervical lordosis from -13.5° to -37.4° (ideal is -42°) and right head translation from -22.7 to -11.3 mm (ideal is 0 mm). 2-year follow-up radiographs and 6-year follow-up health outcomes showed post-treatment improvements were maintained. The patient reported two documented concussions in the 6 years following treatment while maintaining the same lifestyle and professional rugby career.

Conclusion: Correction of abnormal cervical spinal alignment may help athletes with post-concussion syndrome and reduce risk of concussion.

Keywords: Chiropractic BioPhysics®; cervical lordosis; cervical spine alignment; cervical spine rehabilitation; concussion; coronal spinal posture; post-concussion syndrome; sagittal spinal posture; spine biomechanics; traumatic brain injury.

Plain language summary

A 27-year-old male professional rugby player with a 6-year history of 20 documented concussions presented with severe neck and headache pain and disability. X-rays of his neck were taken to measure spinal alignment and posture. Also, neck and headache pain, disability and quality-of-life measures were assessed. After 30 treatment sessions of Chiropractic BioPhysics® (CBP®) neck spinal alignment and posture rehabilitation, neck and headache pain and disability and quality-of-life improved. X-rays showed improved spinal alignment and posture in his neck. Follow-up x-rays 2 years after treatment showed that the improvements to his neck spinal alignment and posture were maintained. Follow-up assessment 6 years after treatment showed that the post-treatment improvements in in neck and headache pain and disability and quality of life were maintained. Additionally, the patient reported only two documented concussions in the 6 years following treatment maintaining the same lifestyle and competing as a professional rugby player at the same level, position and playing time. This is the first documented improvement in post-concussion syndrome and decreased concussion occurrence following correction of neck spinal alignment and posture. Correction of neck spinal alignment and posture allows the spine to function as a healthy shock absorber and increases its ability to decrease stress transferred to the brain from trauma responsible for concussions and may reduce the risk of concussions.

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Conflict of interest statement

The other authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. (A) Pretreatment, (B) post-treatment and (C) 2-year follow-up neutral lateral cervical radiographs.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. (A) Pretreatment, (B) post-treatment, and (C) 2-year follow-up anterior-to-posterior lower cervical radiographs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Strauss S, Lightstone D, Fedorchuk C. Improvement in post-concussion symptoms/disabilities and concussion frequency in a rugby player following cervical spine correction. J. Cereb. Blood Flow Metab. 42(Suppl. 1), 110–111 (2022).
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