A concussion is a type of brain injury, also referred to as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Don’t be confused by the use of the word “mild” - this brain injury that requires medical attention and can result in long term, life-altering effects.

It can be caused via a direct blow to the head with or against a foreign object (ex: think of a baseball smashing into a person’s head) or via indirect impact when an external force causes movement - shifting and/or rotating - of the brain inside the skull (ex: think of the rapid acceleration/ deceleration movement in car accidents).

Anyone of any age can sustain a concussion. In the media, concussion brain injuries are most often linked to sports and athletes. However, they regularly occur through other incidents such as car accidents, slip and fall incidents, roughhousing play and on the darker side, domestic abuse.