Brain Bound the Podcast

3. What Is Post-Concussion Syndrome? - with Natasha Wilch (Concussion Clinician/Physiotherapist)

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This week I invite Natasha Wilch, a physiotherapist from British-Columbia (Canada) with a mission to change the concussion culture globally. We talk about how a concussion client stumped her, despite her experience with strokes and other neurological conditions. We tackle many kinds of misconceptions around concussion, from a "mild" brain injury to "it's just anxiety". Natasha also shares about seven subtypes of concussion, why at least 30% of concussions develop PCS (Post-Concussion Syndrome) and what PCS recovery actually looks like.


--------------- TIME STAMPS --------------

(0:38) Introducing Natasha Wilch - her background, mission and initiatives

(04:30) Concussion - a "mild" brain injury

(06:30) What is a concussion?

(08:10) Contributing factors to developing Post-Concussion Syndrome

(11:35) When do you have PCS - symptoms

(16:55) States of the nervous system

(18:05) Autonomic nervous system (ANS)

(22:30) ANS & concussion symptoms

(24:20) How to retrain the nervous system

(29:37) When people regress with PCS

(30:50) What PCS recovery looks like (seven subtypes of concussion)


--------------- RESOURCES ---------------

  • The Concussion Mini School (Free Monthly Webinar for concussion survivors) - https://www.natashawilch.com/concussion-mini-school
  • Concussion Nerds (A program for concussion clinicians) - https://www.natasha-wilch.com/concussion-nerds
  • Website - https://www.natasha-wilch.com/
  • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/natasha.wilch/


    • --------------- IMPORTANT TERMS --------------

    • Functional brain injury: a brain injury that interrupts the pathways of the brain
    • Autonomic nervous system: the part of the nervous system that organizes everything that happens automatically, like heart-rate or balance
    • Parasympathetic nervous system: the state of the nervous system when you're relaxed - "rest & digest"
    • Sympathetic nervous system: the state of nervous system you're in when you're stressed - "flight-or-fight"
    • Seven subtypes of concussion: Ocular-motor (eyes), vestibular (balance), cervical (neck/whiplash), autonomic (nervous system), cognitive (completing tasks), affective (depressive, emotional), headache. (Some people also include sleep).


      • ----------------------

      Thank you for listening to Brain Bound the Podcast, a show that talks about the at least 30% of all concussions that develop into PCS. In future episodes, I'll be discussing relevant topics that you'll encounter during PCS recovery. I invite someone to share their own PCS story around the topic, and then sit down with an expert in the next episode to help you learn more. Please subscribe for future episodes. Consider leaving a review if you've enjoyed today's show.

      To connect with other people on their concussion journey, or to learn more about PCS, you can visit my Instagram page @brain.bound. Do you have any questions, tips, comments - or would you like to be featured as a guest speaker on the podcast? Feel free to email me at [email protected]. You can also reach me via Instagram PM.

      Instagram: @brain.bound

      Email: [email protected]

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