Concussions are an extremely common injury, especially among athletes. This is a type of brain injury that occurs when there is an impact or collision to the head. This causes the brain to move fast inside the skull, which can produce symptoms such as headache, nausea, light sensitivity, and dizziness.
Though symptoms are usually mild and go away on their own, improper treatment can lead to further and more serious complications. You must take the necessary steps and tips discussed in this blog to have a safe and full recovery.
Rest Immediately
Right after the concussion occurs, take a rest and break from physical and mental activity. Exercising, looking at your phone, reading, etc. can all make symptoms worse. If you are able, lie down in a low-lit area to give your brain time to recover from the trauma it just endured.
See a Healthcare Professional
It’s important to see a healthcare professional as soon as possible so they can give you a medical evaluation. They will ask you questions and walk you through specific exercises to see exactly what’s going on and how severe the concussion is. From here, they will recommend next steps such as a rest timeline, monitoring of symptoms, introducing gradual activity, and when you can return to normal sports and activities.
Depending on the severity, recovery can take several days or several weeks. It’s important to stay patient and return to activity as recommended. Even if you are starting to feel better, you shouldn’t introduce intense exercise too early, or you will be more likely to make the concussion worse and delay recovery even more.
Follow a Gradual Activity Plan
As you continue to heal, you can start introducing light exercise and gradually increase it over time. This can consist of walking or low-impact aerobic exercises. Once you have been doing that for some time and feel good, you can introduce slightly more intense workouts and sport-specific exercises. If you are an athlete, you can start going to regular practice, with no contact to start, and slowly introduce contact back in until you are fully healed and back to normal.
An important thing to keep in mind is to constantly monitor symptoms throughout this process. If you feel symptoms such as dizziness, headache, nausea, etc., at any stage, talk with your doctor and take a step back. Stay in communication with your doctor and those around you so they are aware and you are able to receive clearance throughout the process.
Go Through Physical Therapy
A great aid to you during a concussion is physical therapy. A physical therapist Rexburg can work closely with your doctor to help you heal as best as possible, while still challenging you to stay mentally and physically active.
Introducing physical therapy is a great way to have a step-by-step program without doing it alone, and with supervision. They can help you with balance, dizziness, and eye tracking with vestibular and vision therapy.
Conclusion
While recovery from a concussion can feel frustrating, it’s important to take the right steps to ensure the quickest and most effective recovery. Being able to make a full recovery is the biggest goal, and through these crucial factors, you can achieve that.
