Concussions - Traumatic Brain Injury and Health Outcomes are different in some people

Traumatic brain injury or concussion has resulted in over one million Americas dying within the last two decades, (CDC Traumatic Brain Injury, 2021). Unfortunately, the effects of TBI can be compounded due to differing factors such as race, ethnicity, sex, education, income, disability, geographic location, and sexual orientation. So in 2023 why do we have these disparities? Well in some cases there are groups that are more likely to be involved in motor vehicle crashes, substance use, and suicide apart from the issues with accessing healthcare, (Gao, Kumar, Wisniewski, and Fabio, 2018).

Let’s look at the issues with accessing healthcare. When comparing person of color with non-hispanic white patients, the ugly truth is individuals of color are less likely to have the complaints and symptoms taken seriously by our healthcare system, (Gary, Arango-Lasprilla, Stevens, 2009). Is this due to poor cultural understanding of expression of pain; is this due to latent racism in American health delivery systems: is this due to poor understanding of concussion symptoms among physicians? The answer is yes and yes and yes. When you add to this the individual’s desire to minimize their own concussion for whatever reason, the problem becomes bigger.

In order to mitigate the different outcomes there are a few things that you can do. First, look for a clinic that specializes in concussion and TBI in your community or state. While there may not be a doctor nearby, you can reach out to a clinic such as ours and find out who they would recommend. Often they maybe able to work with you local doctor to get you the help needed. For instance, our clinic offers an on-line test that can determine the areas of your brain effected that you can share with your local doctor. We can also recommend a treatment approach that you can do in your local area.

The most important thing is to find someone who hears what you have to say and how you feel.