Banging Your Head Against the Wall: Understanding Expected and Unexpected Aspects of Post-concussive Syndrome

Designing effective treatment programs for post-concussive syndrome is challenging. This is partly because people with post-concussive syndrome do not progress through the typical care continuum associated with acquired neurological injuries. The result is disjointed, inconsistent, and often sporadic access to services. A second issue is that many programs fail to address the intertwining and interdisciplinary nature of presenting symptoms. This results in siloed services with limited success. Yet another issue is failure to integrate treatment with performance of routine and valued activities. As treatment referrals increase nationwide, enhancing understanding of the unique nature of post-concussive syndrome is essential. Hence, the purpose of this symposium is to (a) explore issues interfering with recovery by people with post-concussive syndrome and (b) describe essential features of effective treatment programs, including six key components of recovery. The discussion stems from our experiences developing, implementing, and refining an innovative, interprofessional telerehabilitation program for post-concussive syndrome.