Important first steps and how physiotherapy can help your recovery.
Go beyond just coping with your symptoms. Get them effectively under control and on the way out with customized concussion rehabilitation.
Feel confident about returning to the activities you love. Our team of specialists are on your side to guide you through the when and how of your comeback.
Learn ways to prevent and protect yourself from direct blows to the head, neck or face that cause concussions—especially important if your sport or physical activity level puts you at risk.
Concussions are the most common form of head injury caused by an impact or forceful motion of the head or other parts of the body, resulting in rapid movement of the brain within the skull.
The types of activities that can cause a concussion include falls, collisions with people or objects, and motor vehicle crashes. If there is a history of concussion, even a minor hit to the head or body can trigger symptoms.
Signs and symptoms of a concussion can be delayed for several hours or even a few days following an incident.
Children and teenagers tend to experience a longer recovery period than adults. On average, an adult takes 7 to 10 days to recover, whereas children and teenagers may take 2 to 4 weeks to heal.
Most concussion cases (about 85%) will fully recover within 3 months; however, some symptoms can last for months and have the potential to cause long-term difficulties.
The first and most important step in a person’s recovery from a concussion is REST for a maximum of 2 days. The person will need both physical and cognitive rest after sustaining a concussion to allow the brain to heal. The goal is to not trigger or worsen symptoms.
Physical activity after 2 days means participation in daily life activities that do not result in an increased heart rate or breaking a sweat. Restrict exercise, sports, running, biking, rough play.
Cognitive activity after 2 days means limiting activities that require concentration and learning. Restrict: reading, electronics (computers, smartphones, video games, TV), work/schoolwork, playing musical instruments, listening to loud music, socializing.
Once symptoms start to improve, or the person has rested for 2 days maximum, the person can begin to increase activities and focus on returning to school, work, sports, etc. Symptoms may return, worsen, or new symptoms may appear as new activity levels are introduced. If this happens, return to a lower level of activity that does affect or bring on new symptoms.
It is important that the person has successfully returned to school or work before fully returning to sports or physical activities. Returning to physical activity too early may result in more severe or potentially long-term problems.
