Volume 17, No. 1, January 2018 JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHIROPRACTIC PEDIATRICS 1389 Improvement in concussion symptoms of headache, poor concentration and photophobia in a 13-year-old male receiving chiropractic care: A case report By Bronwyn B. Hunt 1 , BHK, BChiro, Kelly Holt 2 , BSc, BChiro, PGDip, PhD and Alice Cade 3 , BSc, BChiro, DICCP 1. Chiropractic practitioner. Pukekohe, New Zealand 2. Research Fellow, New Zealand College of Chiropractic, Auckland, New Zealand 3. Lecturer and Intern Mentor, New Zealand College of Chiropractic, Auckland, New Zealand Corresponding authors: Bronwyn B Hunt, BHK, BChiro, 11 Celablo Place, Mt. Wellington, Auckland NZ 1060 Email: bronwynhunt@gmail.com Alice Cade, BSc, BChiro, DICCP: alice.cade@nzchiro.co.nz Self funded. No conflict of interest Acknowledgements: Chiropractic case provided by Dr. Neil Bossenger, BSC (Chiro), MNZCA, Spinewave Wellness Cenre, Auckland, New Zealand 2014 ABSTRACT Introduction Concussion, which may be referred to as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a complex pathophysiological pro- cess from a traumatic biomechanical force (a direct or in- direct impact to the head or violent shaking of the whole body), sometimes causing a loss of consciousness. 1-5 The definition has been noted as vague, and at times confusing due to not being based on validated criteria and/or clarified etiology. 1,4 The following article will use the terms concus- sion and mTBI interchangeably to reflect current knowl- edge and research, however the authors acknowledge that the science concerning concussion continues to evolve and knowledge should be updated with new information. In 2010, there were approximately 2.5 million emergency department visits, hospitalizations, or deaths associated with concussions in the United States. 6 It is estimated that 65% of these concussions and other mTBIs related to sports and recreation activities were among children aged 5-18 years. 7 It has however been noted that concussions are like- ly underreported by the pediatric and adolescent popula- tion, as well as the sporting communities. 1,2,5,8 In New Zea- land, approximately 24,000 cases of concussion occur every year, and cost New Zealand taxpayers over $70,000,000 NZD in 2013-2014. 9,10 Concussions or mTBIs can have vary- ing symptoms including headache, neck pain, amnesia, be- havioral and cognitive impairments; and sleep, hearing and Objective: The following report discusses improved concussion symptoms (headache, low concentration and photophobia) in a 13-year-old male, while receiving chiropractic care. Methods: An electronic search was conducted in May 2017 using the following scientific journal databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, Elsevier, ChiroACCESS, and ScienceDirect. Clinical Features: An adolescent male suffering from concussion symptoms after a traumatic axial impact to his head was presented by his mother to the chiropractic office in Auckland, New Zealand. Intervention and outcome: Following a thorough history and examination, the patient received two chiropractic visits per week, with reevaluation on the eighth visit. He was assessed for vertebral subluxations using upper cervical specific and a functional neurology approach. Care provided included upper cervical specific, full spine diversified and Gonstead chiropractic adjustments only, based on the practitioner’s palpatory and clinical expertise. Spinal levels adjusted were C1-2, C6, T1-6/7, and ilium. Marked improvements were noted; 80% overall improvement, and improvements in concentration, photophobia and headache pain levels. Conclusion: This case illustrates how concussion symptoms, specifically headaches, concentration, and photophobia may improve in patients receiving chiropractic care. Further clinical research is warranted to investigate the efficacy of subluxation based chiropractic care in relation to the improvement of concussion symptoms. Keywords: chiropractic, adjustment, subluxation, concussion, brain injury, vision disturbance, headache, pediatric, case report