Concussion Care Matters: Don't Just Sit and Rest

Any orthopedist will tell you that a broken arm requires 4-6 weeks in a cast to heal. Heart surgeons give their cardiac patients 6 weeks to begin to feel better, and up to 6 months to feel the full benefits of the surgery. According to many professionals, an injury to the brain, our most complex organ, should take 10 days.

I hope you can appreciate the absurdity of the timelines given above. I will absolutely concede that a number of people with concussive injuries heal within that ten-day time frame, and that is certainly the hope, but many do not. Symptoms that persist beyond 10 days should be addressed by trained professionals to maximize recovery. Early treatment is key for better outcomes.

Physical Activity After Concussion: When and How Much?

In our last blog post, we discussed that rest following concussion, while commonly prescribed, may not be the best approach for maximizing recovery. Many patients immediately following a concussion are instructed to rest, including minimizing their physical and cognitive activity, and interactions with other people. But what do we know about strict rest following concussion?

If a concussion is caused during a sporting event, immediate removal from the game is crucial. So in that sense, “rest” is important immediately following an injury. This is important for several reasons, mostly to decrease the risk of an additional impact which could be fatal. The question remains, how long after a concussion is sustained should a person rest, and how quickly should they get back to activity?

Athletic Trainers: Who are we and What do we do?

So, you’re wondering what an athletic trainer is and what we do? You’re not alone. I get this question all the time. You know when you’re watching sports, and someone gets hurt? I’m the person in khakis with a fanny pack who runs onto the field to assess the situation. In this moment, I am evaluating the injury, making a determination if they can safely continue playing, or deciding if they need to be pulled from the game for their safety. In the case of suspected concussion, I first evaluate level of consciousness. How alert are they to person, place and time? Then I evaluate their symptoms. Are they immediately dizzy or off balance? Do they have a headache or nausea? Are there any red flags, like vomiting, that necessitate emergency medical care? If they need to be pulled from play, we implement the concussion protocol for their league. This involves evaluation by a medical doctor and appropriate therapies for safe return to participation in practices and games.

To Play, Or Not to Play, That is the Question.

As a cognitive therapist, I have worked directly with hundreds of people who have had multiple concussions. I am also a mother. One of the questions I am frequently asked is, “Would you ever let your kids play football?” With stories of suicides, severe depression, cognitive challenges, and persistent physical symptoms (e.g., headaches, ringing in the ears) associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) making headlines, a lot of people see this question as a no-brainer. Personally, I probably wouldn’t, but it just so happens my children have never expressed a desire to play football, and it likely will never come up. I think this issue is quite complex, and while I would choose not to let my children play, I don’t harshly judge parents who do. After all, I allow my children to participate in sports such as alpine skiing and soccer, which also have risks.

What is Cognitive Rehabilitation?

Cognitive rehabilitation is a specialized type of therapy designed to help people who have cognitive impairments. These impairments might be due to a concussion or traumatic brain injury, stroke, illness, or learning disability. Oftentimes after a concussion, people feel overwhelmed by their job responsibilities, school, or household chores. They may feel as though tasks that were previously simple are much more challenging because they are having difficulty remembering, focusing, communicating, solving problems, setting and meeting goals, and organizing. Cognitive rehabilitation is one of the most important therapies following concussion, as patients are offered both compensatory strategies and restorative exercises to improve these areas, and consequently, their ability to perform activities of daily living.

Four Ways Physical Therapy Can Help With Post-Concussive Symptoms

Concussions are rehabilitative injuries. Gone are the days of resting until symptoms subside! As we have discussed previously, rest beyond the first couple of days following a concussion can be detrimental to long term recovery. There can be many symptoms following a concussion that affect different systems. These symptoms can include: dizziness, lightheadedness, balance impairments, headache, neck pain, fatigue, blurry vision, nausea, and eye fatigue. A physical therapist with specialized training in concussion can evaluate these symptoms and develop a treatment plan to assist patients with a more timely recovery.

Concussion and Sleep

I can’t fall asleep. I can’t stay asleep. I’m so tired all the time. I feel like a zombie.

Do any of these sound familiar? If so, you are not alone! Sleep disturbances are among the most common issues reported by patients following a concussion. Issues with sleep can include sleeping less than normal, sleeping more than normal, difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and of course, excessive fatigue. Research shows that sleep impairments following brain injury are associated with poorer overall recovery, cognitive impairment, and overall lower productivity (1,2).

Colorado Concussion Clinic

4251 Kipling Street, Suite 405 Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

150 Old Laramie Trail Suite 210 Lafayette, CO 80026

7120 E Orchard Road, Suite 255 Centennial, CO 80111

Phone #: (303) 932-2030

Fax #: (833) 380-1476

Email: info@healmyconcussion.com