No, that’s not a pick up line to be used on your next foray into online dating, I am referring to the six different types of concussions. Beyond being classified as “mild” or “moderate” or “severe,” concussions also are now broken into “types” based on the patient’s symptomatic response.
The UPMC Concussion Clinic located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is on the forefront of concussion research. They use the following graphic as an explanation of how they classify a concussion
Unfortunately, I qualified for all six clinical trajectories, and after years of therapy, only one of the classifications, Ocular, has really resolved itself. While this is an overwhelming realization, even 7+ years out, I do have the benefit of hindsight and I can see how different modalities of therapies helped to lessen my symptoms, and for that, I am grateful.
So, if you are suffering from a concussion or Post Concussive Syndrome, what’s your “type?” What has helped you? In the coming weeks, I will be sharing more about each classification and how it manifested itself in my life. I will also share the therapies and “tricks” that have helped me cope over the years. Maybe, if we put our collective heads together, we can all benefit.
The Concussion Chronicles 
I am finding some members of our support group taking your blog post and viewing the six trajectories as a list of negatives (posting “I am 5/6” etc); and not seeing this sub-division as a positive – a huge step forward to break concussion into sub-parts which each can be addressed. Having 5 of the trajectories doesn’t mean one’s brain injury is worse or more serious than someone who has only two. It is just a way to group symptoms so I doctor can suggest treatment designed for that individual. It is worth reading Mickey Collins’ paper which is hard to condense into a poster.
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