“PCS? PTD? WTF? Understanding Post-Concussion Symptoms”

A concussion affects how the brain works. It disrupts blood flow, creates an energy imbalance, and causes some inflammation in the brain. The good news is that most of the time, the brain heals on its own.

When we check in with people two to four weeks after a concussion, some still struggle with exercise or feel dizzy when they stand up. These cases might be labeled as true Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS). But many others have recovered in those areas—they can exercise and no longer feel dizzy—yet they still experience symptoms like headaches, brain fog, or fatigue.

In most of these cases, the symptoms are no longer coming from the original concussion alone. That’s why we’re moving away from the term PCS. It suggests everyone’s symptoms are caused by the same thing, when in reality, each person has a different mix of underlying issues.

Instead, we now use the term like persistent symptoms or post traumatic disorder (PTD). This shifts our focus to figuring out what’s actually causing the ongoing problems. Is it a balance issue (vestibular)? Eye movement problems (oculomotor)? Migraines? Mental health challenges? A neck injury? Or maybe a combination of more than one?

Using persistent symptoms helps guide more personalized care, so we can target the specific systems that still need support.