Health & Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
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CONCUSSION REHABILITATION Staying Safe During Sports, Exercise, And Other Activities!
weather being ideal for outdoor sports, excursions, and other activities, there also comes an increased risk of suffering from a concussion. Accidents happen, and whileconcussionscanbecomeserious,with theproperassessmentandcare, they are entirely treatable. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RECOVER? Thenormalrecoverytimefromaconcussionvariesfrompersontopersonandpast concussionrecoverytimedoesnotpredictfuturerecoverytime.Thepatient’ssigns/ symptomsandcourseof recoverydependupon the locationof themildbrain injury andtheseverityoftheir injury.However,studieshaveshownthat80%ofconcussed patients recover from their concussion within three weeks, but 20% of concussed patients may take much longer to recover. TREATING A CONCUSSION Treatment for a concussion consists of rest and changes in daily activities in the initialstagesofrecovery.Activitiesorenvironmentsthatprovokesymptomsshould be avoided, such as loud music, television, smart phone use, video games and thinking tasks. Getting plenty of sleep and naps during this stage of healing is very important in the recovery from a concussion. Agradual return tosymptom freephysicalactivity isappropriatewhen thepatient’s symptoms begin to improve. Guidance from a qualified healthcare provider is very important during this stage of recovery. Physical therapists can evaluate and managepossible innerearconditionsassociatedwithheadtrauma,balancedeficits, neck pain, headaches, and dizziness, and they can appropriately pace a return to cardiovascular activity. (Continued inside)
Concussions are quite common, and many who suffer a concussion do not show themorealarmingorobvioussymptomssuchasunconsciousnessormemory loss. Theyaretypically describedasa“mild”traumaticbrain injurybecauseconcussions arenotusually life threatening;however,concussionscan lead toserious long-term consequences if not managed correctly by a healthcare professional. WHAT IS A CONCUSSION? Aconcussion isabrain injury thatdisruptsnormalbrainfunction,usuallycausedby a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or the body that causes the brain to move within the skull. This movement causes the brain to hit the inside of the skull or stretch, resulting inachange inbraincellchemistryandstructural injuryfromcellstretching. WHAT DO I DO AFTER A CONCUSSION? The first priority in the management of a concussion is to safely remove yourself fromwhateveractivityoraccidentmayhavecausedthesuspectedconcussion.The AmericanAcademyofNeurologyusesthemantraof“If indoubt,sit itout,”asaguide for individuals that have suffered a head injury. Removal from sports, recreational activities, and the physical demands of work or daily tasks in general can greatly decrease the risk of suffering another concussion and prolonging recovery. Healthcareprovidersshouldperformasidelineassessmentwhichmay includeteststo ruleoutaneck injury, issueswithmemoryandneurocognitivetests(testsofthinking). Afterwards, you should follow-up with a healthcare provider for reassessment and management of the concussion. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 1.6 million to 3.8 million peopleexperienceconcussionsannually intheUnitedStates.Nowwiththewarmer
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