The brain needs rest to recover
 

In case this point hasn't been hammered home enough, you might want to read this excerpt from the Boston Globe sports section (profile of former catcher Mike Matheny, whose concussion recovery took 18 months):

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Impact of concussions is not lost on Matheny

Mike Matheny’s playing career ended because of postconcussion syndrome, so he feels for the players - particularly Justin Morneau, Jason Bay, and Brian Roberts - who have gone through similar ordeals trying to get back.

The new Cardinals manager, asked if he still feels the effects of the ailment that dominated his life for 18 months, said, “I remember my name just about every day now, so that’s positive stuff. It’s interesting how in real life you don’t get hit in the head much. As long as I’m not getting hit in the head, everything’s good. It was a tough 18 months.’’

Matheny, 41, a four-time Gold Glove winner, reached out to Morneau when the Cardinals played the Twins last week, though Morneau did not take him up.

“I told them if Justin wanted to talk to somebody that I’d be happy to do it,’’ said Matheny, “because the toughest thing about that injury is everything appears fine and you don’t have anything physically that anyone can calibrate or put a timetable on.

“It’s mentally tough because your mind is already not working well and you’re trying to figure out what’s next, what can I anticipate?

“You’re trying to grunt your way through it, because that’s how we’re conditioned as athletes. And the more you do that, the worse it is for you. There’s no CAT scan, MRI that shows you that the healing process is working.

“I was hard-headed about it because I was able to fight through some injuries and I figured this was just another one. The more I pushed, the more I went backwards, and finally I just had to shut it down. It took a long time. I had great medical people around me but I just wasn’t listening.’’

Matheny understands why Morneau never reached out to him.

“I know where he is right now,’’ Matheny said. “He’s just tired of talking about it, and that’s where I was. Every day I’d show up and someone would ask, ‘Matheny, how do you feel today?’ And I’d say, ‘Let me go find out.’ I’d go jump on a bike and I’d get done and I’d feel like crap.

“I didn’t even know what was going on. I just knew I couldn’t see right. I was forgetting pitches I was calling.

“It gave me a great appreciation for the power of the mind, and having any kind of struggle mentally is a sad, scary thing.’’

He gave up the fight at age 36 while with the Giants after a series of foul balls to the mask, and eventually became a minor league manager.

“I’m sure I could have [come back],’’ he said. “I don’t have any question about that. But just knowing I was a couple of good dings away from suffering something serious . . .

“It wasn’t so much the foul balls but getting run over and collisions that added up.’’

http://www.boston.com/sports/basebal...eam/?page=full