3 Myths About Concussion Recovery
Jun 05, 2022
- I need to sit in a dark, quiet room
This has been proven to be detrimental to recovery and can prolong symptoms! Our brains require stimulation to adapt through repeated exposure. If we don’t expose our senses, we can develop sensitives. (1, 2)
- I cannot exercise at all when I first have a concussion
This has also been proven detrimental. Doing simple household tasks and walking around your neighborhood are good ways to be active in the first few days following concussion. Around the 5-7 day mark your therapist will administer a walking test to determine a heart rate to exercise at a sub-symptom level. (3)
- As soon as my symptoms have resolved, my concussion has healed
Research has also proven this to be incorrect. Symptoms often resolve within the first 7-14 days; however, your brain will have decreased energy stores for 21-30 days. This puts you at risk for further brain injury if you suffer another concussion within this timeframe. It is important to do concussion rehabilitation, to ensure all possible functional deficits have healed for a safe return to activity. (4)
All of the following resources are presented by Dr. Cameron Marshall in the Complete Concussion management full practitioner training course modules 2 and 8.
- DiFazio, M., Silverberg, N. D., Kirkwood, M. W., Bernier, R., & Iverson, G. L. (2016). Prolonged Activity Restriction After Concussion: Are We Worsening Outcomes?. Clinical pediatrics, 55(5), 443–451. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922815589914
- McCrory, P., Meeuwisse, W., Dvořák, J., Aubry, M., Bailes, J., Broglio, S., Cantu, R. C., Cassidy, D., Echemendia, R. J., Castellani, R. J., Davis, G. A., Ellenbogen, R., Emery, C., Engebretsen, L., Feddermann-Demont, N., Giza, C. C., Guskiewicz, K. M., Herring, S., Iverson, G. L., Johnston, K. M., … Vos, P. E. (2017). Consensus statement on concussion in sport-the 5th international conference on concussion in sport held in Berlin, October 2016. British journal of sports medicine, 51(11), 838–847. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097699
- Lempke, Landon & Jaffri, Abbis & Erdman, Nicholas. (2017). The Effects of Early Physical Activity Compared to Early Physical Rest on Concussion Symptoms. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation. 28. 1-18. 10.1123/jsr.2017-0217.
- Kamins, J., Bigler, E., Covassin, T., Henry, L., Kemp, S., Leddy, J. J., Mayer, A., McCrea, M., Prins, M., Schneider, K. J., Valovich McLeod, T. C., Zemek, R., & Giza, C. C. (2017). What is the physiological time to recovery after concussion? A systematic review. British journal of sports medicine, 51(12), 935–940. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-097464
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