Change of concussion recovery standards

[AgnesNitt]

Another example of the changing world of treatment for athletic injuries.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/17/well/move/moving-more-after-a-concussion.html

Let me put it this way: When it comes to stretching, injury recovery, and other stuff, the 'rules' change about every 10-20 years.

No.One.Has.A.Clue

[lutefisk]

One would hope that best clinical care would be a moving target, continually evolving, and continually improving as new insights from research move from animal models and are incorporated into the clinical management of an injury.  Medical practices in general are in constant change.  Example: many surgeries no longer require big incisions and long bed-ridden recoveries typical of the immediate past.  Many are now conducted as out patient procedures and the patient is instructed and encouraged to move the affected body part(s) within a day or perhaps a few days post-op.  In a perfect world we'd already know what the best care options would be.  But we don't.  Best care is a work in progress and probably always will be.  The recommendations of today may still be in play, but probably won't be untouched 10 or 20 years from now. 

[sk8lady]

I had already heard that this was where concussion protocol was heading (no pun intended, but there it is) a couple years ago. Part of the rationale was that although staying in a dark, quiet room might speed the physical recovery of the brain, it made the patients miserable, depressed, and anxious, which also delayed recovery.

[Seren]

This new information doesn't totally throw out the old information- it's good that recommendations evolve with new research. Concussions and concussion recovery should be taken very seriously. Mental rest is still important, the study is just suggesting that gentle exercise (not returning to sport, more along the line of going for walks) has benefits.

[lutefisk]

This new information doesn't totally throw out the old information- it's good that recommendations evolve with new research. Concussions and concussion recovery should be taken very seriously. Mental rest is still important, the study is just suggesting that gentle exercise (not returning to sport, more along the line of going for walks) has benefits.

Yep.  After my head trauma incident, the neurosurgeon's instructions included four 15 minute walks per day after my surgery.  It was a major deal for me when the instructions lengthened the walks to 30 minutes.  A 30 minute walk was useful in that it would get me to the barber shop.  I can also report that day-time television, largely a mixture of travel, gardening and cooking programs on PBS, will rapidly shift your brain into neutral.

[ChristyRN]

I wasn't given instructions to walk, but to rest. I moved around the house a lot and slept *a lot*. I got out and went to Eastern sectionals about a week later, closely supervised. I read, but didn't watch TV. Missed my bronze moves test. For once in my life, I actually followed doctor's instructions. I did OK. The trauma doc told me it would be three months or so before I felt like my old self, and she was right. The only residual symptom I have (other than the total memory loss) is a slight worsening in remembering names and having to write more lists to finish tasks.

[Query]

Missed my bronze moves test.

I guess, by the new standards, you didn't have to, since your moves test wouldn't have involved jumping, and I assume you wouldn't have fallen during a moves test. Unless, of course, your symptoms were serious enough to affect your sense of balance. When it comes right down to it, easy skating should be perfect - a gentle low impact physical activity. Maybe it should be prescribed... Though not, I think, for beginning skaters, who do fall a lot anyway, sometimes without much control. Also not for kids and certain others who wouldn't be able to restrain themselves from jumping, and not for hockey players in general, who are universally quite unable to be easy on their bodies.

[lutefisk]

I guess, by the new standards, you didn't have to, since your moves test wouldn't have involved jumping, and I assume you wouldn't have fallen during a moves test. Unless, of course, your symptoms were serious enough to affect your sense of balance. When it comes right down to it, easy skating should be perfect - a gentle low impact physical activity. Maybe it should be prescribed... Though not, I think, for beginning skaters, who do fall a lot anyway, sometimes without much control. Also not for kids and certain others who wouldn't be able to restrain themselves from jumping, and not for hockey players in general, who are universally quite unable to be easy on their bodies.

After my head trauma, although I was supposed to take several 15 minute walks each day, I wasn't allowed to climb stairs for the first two weeks post-op.  Skating, driving cars or even taking long rides in a car as a passenger (increased seizure risk; something to do with flickering light patterns even in daylight conditions) were off limits for roughly 5 weeks post-op.  I was finally cleared to drive a car, skate (gently), return to work and resume other normal activities two months after surgery.  It was an additional three months before I felt confident enough on ice to resume coached dance lessons.  Each head injury is unique but none are trivial.

[ChristyRN]

I guess, by the new standards, you didn't have to, since your moves test wouldn't have involved jumping, and I assume you wouldn't have fallen during a moves test.

Since I was working on moves when I got the concussion and got out of the ICU less than 72 hours before the test, the new standards have absolutely ZERO effect on whether I took the test or not. I barely knew my name, much less how to put my skates on. I slept 18 hours of my test day. Nope, it DID affect my test.

You can hit your head when not jumping. Matter of fact, both of my on-ice concussions were not jumping related. Most of my on-ice injuries have not been jumping-related.

[Query]

Wow...

I guess I've never had a concussion that bad.

[ChristyRN]

Wow...

I guess I've never had a concussion that bad.

I guess you haven't.