Concussions have become the hot topic issue in
athletics and sports medicine. While our knowledge regarding concussion
management has improved dramatically over the past few years, we are
still trying to find the best way to handle them.
Concussions are a challenge because they are the
injury you cannot see. They do not show up on typical imaging and they
are not a structural problem, but result from a ‘metabolic cascade’
which interferes with the normal function of the
cells. For a while, now, our recommendations regarding head injuries
has been to rest. It seems that some took this a little too far and
recommended almost complete isolation. Resting does not need to mean
shutting yourself off from the world, or your friends
and support group, but it does mean decreasing the stimuli that can
affect your symptoms.
When athletes and individuals are newly concussed
they need to allow their brain time to rest and recover. This means
limiting time with a computer or television screen, books with small
print, loud noises and bright lights. The amount
of time to recover depends on the individual. Most people recover
within 10 days, but there are our outliers who take a lot longer to
recover. Once the initial symptoms have recovered the individual can
gradually add in more stimulus. Just like returning
to play is a stepwise process, so is reintegration back into their
daily routine.
Managing concussions is like managing other
injuries, it is based on the individual, their injury and how well they
respond to treatment. Customizing the treatment will hopefully lead to
better recovery.
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