“The current research shows that if you do nothing, you get a concussion, you do bed rest, you do nothing, 30 to 40 percent of people will eventually experience persistent concussion symptoms,” he said. “With exercise you could cut that in half, so maybe you can reduce that to 15 to 20 percent.”
Essentially, the more exercise a person can do after a concussion without causing serious symptoms, the better off he or she will be.
Other concussion treatments that do not involve rest
If someone continues through the first week and continues to exercise and do as much as possible, but still has symptoms after seven to 10 days, more can be done. Dr. Marshall notes that rehabilitation treatments are a good start.
This involves working with a specialist who assesses a person’s ability to perform activities, as well as other aspects such as nutrition to tackle inflammation and mental health support.
They will also investigate if there are other injuries that could prolong the symptom period, such as whiplash.
“A concussion is an acceleration of the head and a whiplash is an acceleration of the neck, and they occur together,” he said.
That’s when neck rehabilitation can be incorporated into the treatment plan, which may include massage, physical therapy, visual or vestibular rehabilitation, manual therapy, and chiropractic care.
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