The Role of Neck Injuries in Concussion Recovery

Research Question: Does a concomitant neck injury affect concussion outcomes in adults? Method: This study was conducted at the Hull-Ellis Concussion and Research Clinic (Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Canada). The authors analyzed records of prospectively collected data from individuals between July 2019 and March 2020, followed for care until 8 weeks post-injury. Participant characteristics and outcomes were analyzed according to the presence or absence of a neck injury. Statistical analyses included comparisons of symptom severity and recovery rates. Results: Eighty-two medical files were reviewed; 19 participants were excluded due to missing data; and 63 were included in the study. Of participants included, 25 (40%) were diagnosed with a concurrent neck injury. In week 1, the neck injury group presented with higher symptom severity, mean 59 out of 132 (SD 32) versus 39 out of 132 (SD 26) for the no neck injury group. By the end of the follow-up period, fewer individuals with a neck injury had recovered from their concussion (44% with neck injury vs. 66% without). Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that the combination of both concussion and neck injury can result in a greater number and intensity of initial symptoms and a longer duration for recovery of injury-related symptoms.