Why did running cause a return of symptoms?
 

Hi everyone,

I've had PCS for three years with my last setback being about nine months ago. Since that point, I've been improving a lot. I attribute much of my improvement at this point in the recovery process to physical exercise, as I started with very light weightlifting about six months ago and then gradually moved up to full body exercise like pull-ups, swimming, and tennis. Overall, this exercise has caused me to feel a lot better physically, and for the last month I've been feeling like 98% to where I was before ever suffering a concussion.

However, two days ago I decided to try jogging as the next step in my physical activity, so I jogged for about a mile on a somewhat hilly terrain. After the workout and that night I felt really great, but when I woke up the following morning I had a very, very strong headache as well as blurry vision. It's been a couple days now, and those symptoms are still here, and I'm wondering if you all think that they may have been caused by anxiety, or if running was truly harmful to my brain. Like I said, physical activity has been the most helpful thing in my recovery, and I was an athlete before getting injured so it's a big part of my identity that I lost, so I'd really like to continue.

But anyway like I said, why do you think running brought on these symptoms? I've already spent time elevating my heart rate these past months and it doesn't bother me, and even though my head got jarred a bit going downhill it obviously wasn't enough force to make my brain connect with my skull (I don't think)

Thanks!!

If you could play tennis, running would not be any more traumatic.

Has the pollen count gone up lately or maybe a new pollen started flying around ? Blurry vision would not be a relapse but it may be an allergy response.

Red,

Couple of thoughts from my experience with running and exercise.

After 3 years I still need to monitor my heart rate during exercise...if I get up on the higher
Aerobics end for extended periods I get payed back. If I push I can for around 5 min then have to let it come down to moderate levels, it's still a good workout.

I can't run since my accident on the street so I run on an inclined treadmill. The incline seems to take the jarring out. I wish I was outside but I'd rather do something than nothing.

Bud

I can only run for about a minute or so, otherwise I tend to get the migraines. I can however get on an ecclipital (sp) and be OK or in the pool due to less stress and impact.

My moderate tbi was almost 3.5 years ago.

Now, there is a woman that is a pro jogger in my tbi support group that just pushed and pushed her way through the migraines she got from running, so for her it kinda like how ballerinas push through the pain on stage.



Hth,

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Does anyone have experiences involving elevation changes and exercise? I go for hikes sometimes and I find that when I reach higher elevations my symptoms become very pronounced, especially visual and balance disturbances. To me it seems more pronounced than during any other form of exercise, for instance running or yoga. But I imagine it could also be from being in the forest around pollen. They say allergies are "getting worse" due to climate change.

Hey Beez,

Yeah that seems natural. Not in a concussed state, but in general, elevation would cause you to feel more fatigue. So if you are concussed, the thinner air leading to less oxygen reaching your brain would make symptoms more pronounced.

I haven't dared to hike while concussed. But, walking itself causes my symptoms to get worse.

The few thousand feet altitude difference in a day hike will not make a difference. One would need to experience a greater difference in altitude than just a few thousand feet to see a difference but the symptoms would be more subtle, not vision and balance. The dehydration from such a hike could cause the symptoms you have experienced.


And, don't believe anybody who tells you pollen is getting worse due to climate change. The New England area has always had wild swings in climate from year to year. I remember the multi year droughts of the 60s and 70s and the wet years in between.

BB,

I like to snow ski and I get head aches that occur about the same road every trip..at 6,500'msl. Never before and been going to the same place for 40 years. They last 2 to 3 hours and disappear just as mysteriously as the arrive.

As far as running goes I'll relay my experience. I think my exercise related symptoms are more related to length of time at higher aerobic levels than activity. Tennis allows you some recovery time between bursts of energy...running is a constant output for an extended time. I have had to run a little slower and it does help with headaches. I compensated for
Running slower by adding incline. I will say I cannot endure running on the street since my accident, it just plain ole pounds my head.

I have the same results swimming if I don't allow for some short breaks to lower breathing/heart rate. I don't find it detrimental to fitness, just a different way of getting there than pre accident.

Bud

Beez... Hiking is very challenging to the vestibular system because of uneven and technical terrain and lots of visual stimuli (leaves on tree, light casting through trees, wind, noises etc..), as well as pollen. I think it is more these things than a change in elevation. I always have a harder time hiking than just walking down the street, and my vestibular therapist said hiking is very stimulating to the vestibular system, but a good challenge.