A concussion is a serious injury that should never be taken lightly, and recovery should never be rushed. However, many patients try to do just that. “People want to prove to themselves and other people they are okay, for a lot of patients that is not okay,” says Gregory Hawryluk, M.D., a concussion specialist with University of Utah Health Care. “The importance of going slow ensures a full recovery.”
Especially at risk for wanting to rush recovery are young athletes anxious to get back in the game. For those patients Hawryluk suggests six steps for concussion recovery starting with getting proper medical attention. “That’s the first step; make sure you see a physician. Don’t try to fix your brain yourself,” he says.
After a concussion is diagnosed, it’s time to rest. The patient needs to rest both physically and mentally until symptoms subside, which usually takes at least one day. “This is one of the rare times we will counsel young patients not to do homework or even things like video games we think can be too taxing for the recovering brain,” says Hawryluk.
Once the symptoms have abated it’s time to get moving – slowly. Light activities like walking, or riding a stationary bike are perfect. Do not overdo it. Once you push your body a little bit it actually can bring on the symptoms,” says Hawryluk. “The goal of step two is to do some light physical activity and see if symptoms return.”
Athletes can return to their sport once they are symptom free with light exertion. However, they are not ready to play – yet. Instead they are advised to try out activities involved in their sport. “If you’re a hockey player we would say you can go back and skate at this point,” says Hawryluk. “What we want to see if is at any of the steps we see symptoms we say we need to back up.”
Getting back into the game are the remaining steps for athletes. First, participating in practice drills, then being involved in non-contact game play, finally they can go back to full contact play. Once again, it is key that none of these steps are rushed. If not, the results could be fatal. “Players that return to a sport while they’re still symptomatic are at risk for something called second impact syndrome, which causes dramatic and fatal brain swelling,” says Hawryluk.
While athletes are given specific steps for concussion recovery, Hawryluk says the same course should be followed by those who suffer a concussion in other ways. "The principles of rest and graded return to normal activity has really been associated with the most efficient recovery,” he says.