[lindberg711]

This guy has had 5 or 6 concussions, and has made a full recovery as a result of graduated exercise. This is very exciting news for us:

I think it is so easy to try to think of complex remedies and solutions to physiological problems we have that we forget about the most basic things. Exercise needs to become a lifestyle, as well as good nutrition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUEmf...layer_embedded

[Mark in Idaho]

This is a very enlightening YouTube presentation. Barry Willer, one of the researchers and a presenter makes a very important statement. He says that the Buffalo protocol is directed at just the physiology of exercise or physical exertion. He also states without any reservation that the Buffalo protocol has not show to make any different in cognitive difficulties and vision difficulties that have resulted from the concussion.

It is as I have been saying for some time, a protocol designed to return the athlete to activity on the field or otherwise.

Yes, this is a great way to get back to an active life. It has no value as a measure for the brain's ability to tolerate a return to risky activities.

These statements by Barry Willer are at 2 minutes into the YouTube presentation.

[greenfrog]

I am still not convinced about the UB exercise program. On the one hand, it sounds as though it has helped some athletes and others improve (in the sense of returning to play and other activities, and having reduced symptoms). And I imagine that there will be more research in the future on exercise and other approaches over and above the standard treatment of "physical and cognitive rest". I hope that eventually the medical community is able to provide a more sophisticated, multifaceted - and evidence-based - approach to diagnosing and treating concussions.

On the other hand, I would like to see more research in this area before touting exercise as a miracle cure. If the program is so successful, I'm sure we would be hearing a lot more about it, both in the media and in peer-reviewed publications (and on websites like this one).

[rick92]

i am also skeptical. the video is from buffalo university too so they are promoting themselves in a way. i myself have tried it and i could not do 3 minutes of cycling without getting severe symptoms. maybe it works for some but not for others. also the boy said he's had symptoms for one month. that really isnt that long

[lindberg711]

My friend who has had 5 concussions (2 severe) had symptoms for 6 months after his worst concussion. He was cross-checked with a lax stick. His symptoms were so bad at first that he struggled to plan activities for his day, as his memory was that poor. He had daily migraines, light sensitivity, etc...In about a month of exercise, his symptoms went away. He said that the first week or two he had terrible headaches after exercising, but he kept doing it anyway and the symptoms subsided.

He is now top of his class as at the University of Colorado, with a booming social life and excellent cognitive abilities. I am not saying this is a miracle cure, but exercise is important for our physiology. Many symptoms of concussion are often similar to symptoms of stress, which is worsened by lack of exercise. Nothing is more depressing than having no physical activity in your life...and nothing is worse for headaches than sleeping too much. I am not saying run a mile, but I think at least walking could be beneficial for a lot of us. Walking surely should not worsen your symptoms.

Originally Posted by rick92

i am also skeptical. the video is from buffalo university too so they are promoting themselves in a way. i myself have tried it and i could not do 3 minutes of cycling without getting severe symptoms. maybe it works for some but not for others. also the boy said he's had symptoms for one month. that really isnt that long

[Mark in Idaho]

We have to keep in mind that many who have concussion symptoms will spontaneously get better. The head aches and other head pressure issues are just a small part of PCS. They just happen to be the ones that make day to day and even minute to minute life almost unbearable.

The Buffalo protocol is proven to help with the head aches and head pressure symptoms. The thought is that the blood flow regulating system in the head gets rehabilitated. It is nothing like rehabbing the brain cells themselves.

As lindberg says, activity is good for both depression and head aches. It is also good for sleep. Resolving the head aches and depression can make a big difference in a person's life, especially one of a young person of college age when the brain is still more resilient.

Expecting the Buffalo protocol to resolve cognitive and memory issues that are not part of depression is unwarranted. Unfortunately, the "return to activity" standard of concussion recovery research appears to be hijacking the research into recovering memory and other cognitive abilities.