I am a newbie, I injured my head in a horse riding accident. I was wearing a helmet but have done some damage to my head. I am 9 weeks post concussion and still have a constant headache. I am on meds for pain control.

I was 3 weeks away from my first international competition with this horse and I want to stay as fit as possible so that my return to the showring doesnt take as long. My dr has said that if I take a high enough dose of the pain killers and cant feel the pain I can go back to riding.

I have sent my horse away to a trainer until the neurologist ok's me to ride again. I attempted walking yesterday and I am ok on the flat but walked up a long flight of stairs and it got my heart rate up and left my head feeling worse. As per my Dr who says I can go riding this is ok but I just thought I would ask what you all think while I wait the next two weeks to see the neuo.

How much exercise can/do you do? Is there something that is better than the other to stay in shape? Yoga?

Im no expert, but the thought of being on a horse and bouncing up and down sends pain straight into my head! Im assuming you also possibly injured your neck with the fall, have you had your neck checked out by a cervical specialist or chiropractor? i would think getting back up on a horse so soon would give you a massive headache, mess with your vision, create a lot of dizziness, and possibly nauseous. If you havent done much exercise in the past 9 weeks....which not many of us have that soon after, pushing yourself to get ready for a show will most likely set you further back in your recovery. Im 7 weeks out and attempted to do an hour of exercise a few weeks after my accident every day, and by the end of the week, i was so unbelievably fatigued and headaches were so bad, i could barely move and set myself back. Sadly, the prescription is rest. Take care of yourself and wishing you a speedy recovery.

I have no desire to get on a horse right now which is why he has been sent away for training. But I do want to get back on again at some point. I feel gross and lethargic and out of shape and wanted to know what others are able to do without too much harm.

Sorry I don't know how to answer because you must be past me already on the scale of vigorous exercise. I would think yoga would be a good one to do. Obviously exercises that don't jar your head are the better choices. I talked with my doctor about choosing walking and swimming over running, etc. Good luck to you!!

what about a stationary bike? Very little head movement or risk of falling. I completely understand what you mean about feeling gross and lethargic. Its hard when you are an athlete and used to being so active. I also do exercises at home with resistance bands, a big ball, and foam roller. I use the bike or elliptical in my complex gym. Its not much, but it keeps my muscles moving. I get dizzy from all the stimulation at my real gym, so keeping it at home, i can rest immediately if i need to or if i need my headache meds.

I would be more concerned about your next concussion than any attempt at exercising and getting back into shape. This accident changed your life to one that is still liveable. The next could leave you in misery for a lifetime. From what I can tell, your doctor does not have any idea about concussions or Multiple Concussion Syndrome.

Some years back, my dog broke his leg. The doctor who fixed it surgically gave us some Fentanyl to give him for the pain. The dose was so strong that he was running around the back yard like nothing had happened. Then, he stopped running and just wanted to lay down. He had felt so little pain that he had shredded the repaired femur. He ended up needing a second surgery by a specialist and ended up with a one inch shorter leg for the rest of his life. The second surgery was successful and the Fentanyl was much less so he spent adequate time resting until his leg was stronger.

What I am trying to say is your head hurts for a reason. It is telling you to take it easy. Pain killers may over-ride the message but they won't over-ride the reason for the message.

You need a serious evaluation by a concussion specialist ( not a generic neurologist) and even a neuro-psych assessment to determine how you function with reaction times and cognitive skills.

Your brain does not heal like a broken bone. It cannot make scar tissue. The damaged cells either recover completely or die completely. No in between. The stretched axons (connections between brain cells) remain weakened for a long time if not forever.

The most liberal athletic trainers and sport medicine doctors require a complete lack of symptoms before allowing athletes back onto the field. The conservative ones require normal mini neuro-psych tests before a return to activity.

You are risking the rest of your life. Be careful and think about your choices.

My best to you.

Good post and good advice Mark. This is, as you may have deduced, the part that I am struggling with understanding for my particular case.

Thanks Mark

That is they type of information I need. Since my Dr hasnt set limitations I think I have been pretty good in not doing much. I just needed to know what my risks are by pushing back since my dr seems to think there is no risk at all. If going for walks puts me further at risk I can continue to twiddle my thumbs.

I am thankful for the internet as much as Dr's are against it.

The risk of mild exercise/exertion is not high. It can slow your recovery but will not likely have long term consequences.

My concern is the long term and likely permanent risk you run by getting back on your horse and falling on your head again. If you were wearing a helmet and suffered such an injury as you already suffered, it shows that your brain is not tolerant of impacts. Some brains have more tolerance to impacts that others. It appears you have a sensitive brain.

Was this your first fall with a concussion? Or have you had other falls that did not appear to be concussions?

All falls with or without impacts to your head need to be considered part of your medical history. You would be wise to try to chart the falls you have suffered during your riding career.

Have you done any swiming or can you? I started doing this after one of my concussion because it has no impact but is still a good exercise. Just start slow if you don't want to get your heart rate up and if it goes well you can start swimming longer and faster. I still do mostly light swimming since I still can't run because of the impact or ride a bike because of balance issues. It might not work but why not give it a shot and see what happens.

-Soccer14