The role of the cervical spine in post-concussion syndrome

While much is known regarding the pathophysiology surrounding concussion injuries in the acute phase, there is little evidence to support many of the theorized etiologies to postconcussion syndrome (PCS); the chronic phase of concussion occurring in ~10–15% of concussed patients. This paper reviews the existing literature surrounding the numerous proposed theories of PCS and introduces another potential, and very treatable, cause of this chronic condition; cervical spine dysfunction due to concomitant whiplash-type injury. We also discuss a short caseseries of five patients with diagnosed PCS having very favorable outcomes following various treatment and rehabilitative techniques aimed at restoring cervical spine function.