Find the Right Treatment for Your Needs


Raleigh neurologist, Dr. Darcy Dane, has treated many patients with a variety of brain disorders. The most common of these disorders are concussions, which she believes have been previously misunderstood and poorly managed. Though concussions leave no visible mark, Dr. Dane believes much more can be done outside of prescribed rest.

If you have suffered from a concussion, Dr. Dane will provide the treatment you need. With new technology and continuous research fueling better treatment options, Dr. Dane and her team at Carolina Brain Center utilize functional neurology. This approach has helped provide expert-level concussion treatment in Raleigh, NC, for many patients within the community.

What Are Concussions?

To find the best treatment for your needs, it is essential to understand what concussions are. A concussion is a traumatic brain injury most commonly caused by blows to the head, or a forceful shaking of the head or upper body. The impact causes the brain to knock against your skull, which damages the soft tissue. Concussions are often hard to identify, as consciousness is not usually lost. Some patients can also experience them without any physical side effects.

With no apparent signs that a blow to the head has resulted in brain damage, it is essential to pay attention to any more minor symptoms that can occur after impact. Symptoms can last for days or weeks following the initial blow. It’s important to pay attention to your body and seek medical treatment if you experience any of the following:

  • Headaches
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Sensitivity to bright lights or loud sounds
  • Confusion
  • Fatigue
  • Memory loss

Though you can experience any of these symptoms immediately after a concussion occurs, other, more underlying symptoms take longer to appear. These can include depression, concentration difficulties, and mood alterations. Many people recover from concussions on their own. However, a more severe concussion that results in loss of consciousness should be evaluated by a neurologist in Raleigh, NC, right away.

Our Functional Neurology Approach

Concussions cannot be examined the same way a cut or bruise can. Since they occur inside of the skull, they manifest different symptoms in different people. Dr. Dane believes this factor alone should encourage doctors to stay up-to-date on the latest in concussion treatment. With nearly three million sports-related concussions happening every year in the United States, it is crucial to understand how to recognize and adequately treat these injuries.

Dr. Dane has completely over 500 hours of training explicitly focused on concussion treatment. She learned the functional neurology approach from Dr. Frederick Carrick, which she now applies to patients across the Raleigh area. 

Functional neurology treats disorders in the nervous system through a combination of cognitive and sensory treatments. Think of it as “exercise for the brain.” The same way lifting weights helps to build muscles, functional neurology increases the functional capacities of the brain.

When it comes to treating concussions, Dr. Dane takes a very structured approach. She first examines a patient using comparative subjective findings. This process includes asking patients about their health and symptoms, cognitive testing, videonystagmography (VNG), computerized posturography, a visual stamina test, and a thorough neurological examination to further flesh out the cause of the visual, vestibular and cognitive complaints common to post-concussional syndrome.  

Treatment for the concussion may then include having the patient participate in activities such as balancing themselves, tracking movement with their eyes, and performing aerobics. Painless electrical currents may also be used to integrate brain and body connections and function. 

Through this approach, Dr. Dane has helped many patients recover from concussion symptoms in Raleigh, NC. Our goal is to treat whatever we can and to provide rehabilitation and increased function in areas that cannot be fully recovered.

If you experienced a concussion and related symptoms, look to Carolina Brain Center for expert-level treatment. Reach out to Dr. Dane today by calling (919) 703-0207 to set up a consultation.

Why Carolina Brain Center?

Dr. Dane brings 20 years of experience to the Triangle and has helped many people achieve a healthier brain and body.

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