Canada,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

Glad to hear you are seeing improvement. Wow, Your regimen is far too aggressive for many with concussions and PCS.

The NFL doctors like those at the Boston conference, are usually focused on return to play, not return to the kind of daily activities most with PCS deal with. Players are driven to get back on the field at the earliest opportunity.

"The simple eye exercises all were really tiring at first for me because I had spent 3 months of quiet rest in a quiet dark room with no screen time (no TV, computer, phone) and I rarely left the house, because I felt so terrible with symptoms."

Your recovery was not only delayed but maybe even extended by the 3 months of rest. As the consensus statement acknowledged, non-activity rest should not extend beyond 48 hours. To take it a step further, bed rest is not recommended outside of normal sleep periods. Then, return to activity as symptoms allow. The goal is low stress activity that keeps good blood flow to the brain. Excessive and improper rest lend to toxins collecting in the brain causing further levels of symptoms and delays.

Not everybody has vision and/or vestibular issues. Getting assessed is worthwhile but some vestibular therapists see the patient as a source of billings and may push therapy that is more than is needed thus adding stress to the patient's day.

It is helpful to remember that in the past 10 years, especially since computerized neurocognitive testing has become widely promoted, concussion management has become an 'industry.' Doctors attend weekend conferences and learn how to increase billings as they hang out a sign saying concussion specialist.

The Berlin Consensus, though improved over the prior Zurich Consensus, still acknowledges there are many questions to be answered, especially regarding concussion symptoms that last beyond 2 weeks or so. 85% recover during the first 6 weeks, most within 2 weeks. Notice the statement recover from a clinical perspective. This is important because return to play is determined from a clinical perspective. Recovering to return to work or intense classroom studies is a different issue.

Berlin did make a strong statement about the part upper cervical injuries play. It would be great if those who do not have access to a sports trainer or even team doctor had access to the cervical assessments that athletes have. Medicine outside of sports has not adopted the cervical injury concept since those injuries are often very subtle in the mind of the doctor.

Neck strengthening has been a consideration for those at risk of concussion in sports so neck rehabilitation is likely different for such athletes than for those who do not have pre-morbid strong necks.

It takes about 6 weeks or longer for ligaments to heal. Therapy without postural discipline during sleep and rest is usually inadequate.

Other than the 'push vestibular therapy even if it causes symptoms' concept, we have discussed all of the issues you mentioned. Pushing through symptoms is controversial and not broadly supported.

The points system you mention is highly subjective to the individual and environment. I don't see how it can be broadly applied. The attempt to make everything into a statistical number is impossible. It there is one thing we know for sure, it is this. Every concussion is different. The matrix of symptoms varies from one person to the next. The matrix of recovery from those symptoms is just as different.

Excessive journaling can be problematic. Too much focus on symptoms can increase anxiety levels. Litigation is known to increase symptom levels, especially if journaling is done. A less intense tracking of symptoms is good.

I see you are still struggling with visual and auditory stimulation. This suggest you are still early in your recovery and understanding. The points system may be misleading you in your understanding.

Hopefully, there is a lot we can help you with.

Has anybody mentioned nutritional issues like brain health supplements ?

Please feel free to start your own thread using the New Thread link at the upper left of the index page.

My best to you.