For people who have had a concussion, the process of recovery is very important. After having treatment, concussion patients will usually suffer from post-concussion symptoms; the best way to get rid of them quickly and get back into shape is, among other things, with regular exercise.
However, a lot of medical practitioners will suggest that their patients rest. During the acute stage, rest is important and it needs to last from 24 to 48 hours, but there is more and more emerging evidence that patients should have limited physical activity starting 2 or 3 weeks during recovery. Let’s look at which exercises could help concussion patients.
How can exercise after a concussion help?
There is emerging evidence showing that physical activity can help increase the number of brain chemicals which have a function of repairing all the tissue that has been injured during the concussion.
Additionally, physical activity stimulates brain function and helps the brain restore its capabilities. This kind of activity can help the patient rehabilitate faster and get rid of the post-symptoms caused by the injury. On top of that, it helps patients stay in shape.
Is it dangerous to exercise after a concussion?
When it comes to physical activities and exercising after a concussion, it is important to understand that the strain on the body should be drastically lower than with completely healthy people. There are studies showing that sub-symptom physical activities are beneficial for the recovery of concussion patients with both adults and children.
At the same time, they show that it is completely safe to exercise in smaller amounts and that there are no side-effects to this kind of rehabilitation. This means that it is safe to exercise during recovery but in controlled conditions.
When to start exercising
When it comes to concussion recovery, there is a fair amount of misinformation out there. The first myth is that patients should wait with physical activities until their symptoms have completely diminished. At the same time, there is no evidence that patients benefit from being in total rest during their recovery.
On the other hand, there are studies showing that both adults and children who had some physical activity during recovery had a lower chance of experiencing prolonged symptoms. At the same time, there is evidence showing that guided exercising is the best way to combat prolonged symptoms in case they occur.
Types of exercises for concussion patients
Some of the physical exercises recommended for concussion patients include balance exercises such as standing on one foot and switching to another, movements of the lower and upper extremities, performing various tasks for cognitive exercise, sports activities that involve balance, walking on different surfaces, and so on.
On the other hand, there is also visual therapy like substitution exercises, focusing on a target while moving the head, and many similar techniques. Both visual processing and movements help improve recovery and get the patient into a better state.
Before engaging in these exercises it is important to consult a specialist who can guide the patient through the process.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment so that we can talk about exercises for your concussion recovery.