Cognitive Issues After Concussion: Why Your Brain Feels Off — and How to Recover in Kansas City

Cognitive Issues After Concussion: Why Your Brain Feels Off — and How to Recover

After a concussion, most people expect a headache or some dizziness — but feeling like your brain doesn’t work right is often the most frustrating and misunderstood part of the injury.

If you’ve been struggling with brain fog, poor memory, mental fatigue, or trouble focusing after a car accident or head injury, you’re not alone. At our Kansas City clinic, Dr. Lance Stevenson, DC specializes in identifying and treating the underlying causes of cognitive dysfunction following concussions.

Common Cognitive Symptoms After Concussion

Even a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can disrupt the brain’s ability to process and organize information. Patients often describe:

• Brain fog — feeling mentally sluggish or slow

• Short-term memory problems — forgetting conversations, appointments, or tasks

• Difficulty focusing — especially in noisy or busy environments

• Trouble multitasking — unable to juggle more than one thing at a time

• Slowed mental processing — it feels like everything takes more effort

• Word-finding difficulty — “I know what I want to say, but I can’t find the word”

• Mental fatigue — cognitive tasks leave you drained or overwhelmed

Why Does Concussion Cause Cognitive Problems?

A concussion creates a neurometabolic crisis in the brain:

• ATP (energy) production drops

• Brain cells struggle to communicate

• Neuroinflammation increases

• Blood flow regulation is impaired

These changes affect the frontal and temporal lobes — key areas for executive function, attention, memory, and language. Even without visible damage on imaging, your brain can be underperforming in critical areas.

If left untreated, this can lead to persistent post-concussion cognitive symptoms, especially when combined with:

• Poor sleep

• Vision or vestibular issues

• Autonomic dysregulation

• Emotional stress or overstimulation

• Lack of appropriate rehab

Cognitive Load and Mental Fatigue

After a concussion, even simple tasks can feel overwhelming. That’s because your brain is using more effort to do less — especially if other systems like vision, balance, or posture aren’t functioning smoothly.

This mismatch leads to:

• Quick mental exhaustion

• Frustration at work or school

• Trouble processing conversations

• Anxiety in crowded or stimulating settings (e.g., grocery stores, meetings)

What We Do at Our Kansas City Concussion Clinic

At our clinic, Dr. Lance Stevenson, DC performs a thorough post-concussion cognitive assessment that looks at:

✅ Attention span and working memory
✅ Mental endurance and processing speed
✅ Visual-cognitive tasks (like reading, tracking, scanning)
✅ Balance and vestibular stress on cognition
✅ Multitasking tolerance (dual-task testing)
✅ Environmental triggers like noise, motion, or screen time

Then, we build a personalized, evidence-based plan to gradually restore your brain efficiency and cognitive performance.

This might include:

• Neurocognitive rehab drills (mental tasks paired with movement)

• Eye movement and gaze stabilization training

• Vestibular or balance rehab to reduce cognitive overload

• Postural corrections to support visual-spatial orientation

• Breathing or autonomic support to improve brain oxygenation and focus

When to Seek Help

If it’s been more than 2–3 weeks since your concussion and you’re still experiencing cognitive symptoms, it’s time to get evaluated. This isn’t “just in your head” — it’s your brain telling you something still needs support.

Get Your Mind Back on Track

At our Kansas City clinic, Dr. Lance Stevenson, DC helps patients from Overland Park, North Kansas City, Liberty, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, and surrounding areas recover from the cognitive effects of concussion using targeted, system-based care.

Call 816-226-7476 today to schedule your post-concussion evaluation and take the first step toward thinking clearly again.

Special thanks to Complete Concussions for their training and educational resources. To learn more about comprehensive concussion treatment options, visit completeconcussions.com.

Disclaimer:

This blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace medical advice. If you have experienced a concussion or other injury, please consult a qualified healthcare provider. Always follow the advice and treatment plan given by your medical professional.

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