Is rest really the best advice?
 

I was diagnosed with post concussion syndrome a little over a month ago. Still struggling with handling stress, cognitive problems, etc... I emailed my neuro, and she said it was fine to do some light jogging. On this forum, I see many recommendations to rest. However, advocating rest assumes that there's something in the brain that still needs to heal. If so, what is it that is healing? It seems as though no one knows what causes post concussion syndrome. I've read that maybe it's related to blood flow, or maybe it has to do with some sort of chemical rearrangement, but there's no definitive answer. However, I don't see how rest would help in either of those cases.

On the NCAA site, it says, "Post-concussion syndrome is often mismanaged as prolonged concussion in that athletes are advised to continue both physical and cognitive rest. Whereas physical and cognitive rest are part of the mainstay of initial concussion management, they can help to perpetuate post-concussion syndrome manifestations because the athlete can become increasingly isolated or despondent with ongoing symptoms and no clear management plan. "

I know that it's important to treat a concussion with rest initially, but post concussion is NOT a concussion. It's... I don't know what exactly, and no one seems to know. So is physical and cognitive rest really the best approach?

Brain Injury
 

Hello!

Welcome here. This is a nice place.

I quit thinking of my brain injury as a concussion, because what we have is a brain injury. The doctors don't know just why PCS happens for some of us, but it does. And the MRIs are not powerful enough to show what is torn in our brains, but your symptoms will tell you that your brain is hurt.

The injured brain needs a low stress environment to heal. You have to be willing to live a boring life for awhile to let it heal. Also, brain healing is slow and no one can say for sure how long it takes to heal. We each heal differently.

To promote brain healing, yes, rest. Also check out the vitamins thread. You can also help your brain heal with vitamins and supplements. I am a big believer in that.

As for exercise and activities, the trick is to learn to do gentle things like walking, or stretches. If you OVERdo it, you can get symptoms back.

I have recovered from most all of my symptoms, but I still don't dare run or push my exercise too hard. I do get symptoms again -- light sensitivty and sound issues when I have done too much and I am 10 months in.

I hope this helps and that you take it easy on yourself. The way to fight PCS is to really learn how to relax and rebuild your life slowly.

All for now,

poetrymom

sleepybo,

Rest does not mean sitting and doing nothing. Quiet rest means doing activities that are not stressful. No cardio, no cramming for exams, none of the activities that cause the body to release stress hormones or the waste products caused by physical effort. The brain needs a good chemical/nutritional/metabolic environment.

Studies show that multi-tasking is detrimental to good brain health. And the study was done with normal people, no PCS subjects.

So, rest means no stress. Many thrive on the adrenaline and such of pushing the limits.

The Buffalo protocol suggests rest for 6 weeks or until head aches and other symptoms have cleared, then slowly introduce exercise that does not cause head aches or other symptoms to manifest.

There are other injuries that accompany concussions that also need to be addressed.

Thank you. I hear what you're saying. However, what I notice looking through these forums is that some members who are advocating rest still say it takes years to heal, or have not healed. I'm just wondering, if the symptoms are going to come and go whether I'm exercising or not, then what's the point in resting? You've heard the old saying, even a broken clock is right twice a day?

I guess another question might be, are symptoms really something to avoid? Do symptoms necessarily mean that I'm delaying healing, or is it just part of post concussive syndrome, and it will go away in time, regardless of what I'm doing?

You have an opportunity to recover from each symptom individually. You may end up with a single symptoms that is prolonged or like me, life long. Maximizing recovery from any of your symptoms is the focus of rest.

What symptoms did you have at the beginning and what symptoms are you experiencing now ? What symptom is the most disruptive to your daily life?

\lots of sites with return to run plan post head injury. I was super active at time of my injury. Can walk, do basic weights and water running. Running or the bus gives me a headache. All about timing. Take it slow, you can set your self back so easily.

But my question is, _is_ getting a headache a setback? How do we know that's a bad thing, instead of an inevitable part of the recovery process?

Sleepybo19,

No one brain injury is like another due to personal makeup and the injury itself.

I can tell you that my daughter was cleared to go back to college and went into a very loud class after studying for a few days straight. She literally collapsed. She had to be taken to the hospital. 4 months later was again cleared to go back to her college classes. Had a hard time memorizing but stuck with. Within 3 1/2 weeks ALL of her symptoms came back.(Fatigue, head spinning, head aches, depression, light sensitivity, over stimulation, cognitive issues, sleep issues--I can go on.

These symptoms have not cleared up in 2 YEARS. They have gotten much better but she is still out of college. She still cannot run (had a scholarship to run XC). She was a valedictorian in high school and now she can not remember what she reads….SO BEWARE.

What happened to her may not happen to you because of individual differences. But set backs can happen and they can be much harder to overcome.

I am 5 months post injury, and my symptoms change weekly. Rest is the common thread that gives me the most "up" time and clarity of thought. If I physically over-do it then my symptoms flare just as if I mentally over-do it.

I remember seeing somewhere on this forum that someone started jogging, and continued despite experience symptoms, and that they recovered shortly thereafter. I wish that I could find that post again... I'm not doctor, obviously, but I'm not sure that's a handicap, as it seems no one has a clue what causes this disorder.

But again, I ask the question, how do we know that symptoms are something bad, or something to be avoided?

If you have to reset your arm when it goes out of the socket, it hurts for a minute, but then it's all better. Maybe we should be pushing through symptoms, rather than avoiding them? What if those are moments for growth?