How To Treat & Recover From a Concussion
How To Treat & Recover From a Concussion
Concussions are serious brain injuries that require treatment to heal.
Some get better on their own in a matter of weeks. But others cause symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, headaches, and screen sensitivity that last for months or even years.
We want to help you heal your concussion as fast as possible!
And the best way to do that is through a combination of concussion physiotherapy, rest and gentle recovery, and at-home concussion treatment.
In our last post, we walked you through concussion physio and how it works. So today, we’re focusing on rest, recovery, and a few simple things you can do to treat your concussion from home.
Let’s get you feeling better!
Got a concussion? We’ve got you!
Our knowledgeable therapists have the training it takes to address your concussion symptoms—and rehabilitate the brain injury that’s causing them.
If you prefer to skip the reading and start rehabilitating, book your appointment now.
How Concussions Happen
Concussions are traumatic brain injuries that occur when the brain hits the inside of the skull.
There’s a myth out there that concussions mainly happen during sports. But that’s not true! Any “big” impact on the head, neck, or body that results in a lot of pressure in your head can cause a concussion. So can a quick change in your movement—like whiplash in a car accident.
That means everything from fender benders to “slip and fall” incidents to head-on collisions on the field is fair game.
Symptoms of a Concussion
It’s typical for a concussion to bring on any of the following symptoms:
Headaches
Migraines
Fatigue
Dizziness
Vertigo
Nausea
Difficulty balancing
Trouble sleeping
Visual disturbances
Difficulty looking at screens
Physiotherapy: The Best Way To Heal A Concussion
For decades, professionals recommended rest and darkness for concussions. But now, evidence shows that doing nothing for too long makes concussion symptoms last longer. So after a few days of rest, it’s important to slowly and safely begin moving again. And the best way to do that is under the watchful eye of a concussion-trained physiotherapist.
Concussion physio begins with a thorough assessment. During this appointment, your therapist conducts tests to assess the severity of your brain injury. And, because every concussion presents differently, they’ll ask you questions to get an understanding of how your symptoms are affecting you.
From there, they’ll create a treatment plan that’s focused on rehabilitating any issues being caused by your concussion. Often, the parts of your brain and body that are most affected will be your neck and your abilities to balance, exert yourself, and take in visual stimuli without becoming symptomatic.
The Benefits of Concussion Physiotherapy
After a few concussion physio treatments, you’re likely to experience:
Faster recovery
Less neck pain
Fewer headaches
Fewer instances of dizziness
Better balance
Improvement in your vision symptoms
Better brain function (less brain fog!)
How Long Does It Take for a Concussion to Heal?
Some concussions heal up on their own within a week or two while others take about 3 months or longer. Some unlucky people experience concussion symptoms for longer, thanks to something called post-concussion syndrome.
How To Heal From Your Concussion Faster
If you want to heal your concussion as fast as possible—and we’re sure you do!—then it’s important to be intentional about it.
See a concussion physio, follow the treatment plan they give you, and prioritize your recovery at home. (The 3 tips we’ve outlined below will help you with that part!)
#1 Prioritize Rest & Rehabilitation
We recommend taking it easy for the first 2 days after your concussion, then starting physio after that. “Taking it easy” doesn’t mean doing nothing, though! You could take easy walks, do gentle stretching or yoga, chat with a friend over tea, and you might even feel well enough to read a book (although not everyone does).
Just avoid challenging versions of these activities like strenuous exercise, mentally draining conversations, and reading something challenging like a textbook. And, avoid stimulating bright lights, loud noises, and crowds, which will probably just overwhelm your brain and flare up your symptoms.
So channel a cozy day at the cottage and table your “musical festival” energy for now. And, we know this is tough, but throughout your recovery, try to avoid screens as much as you can. Screen-free time will help your brain recover.
#2 Pair Gentle Exercise with Mental Stimulation
Once you’ve dedicated at least 2 days to rest, it’s important to get your body moving and your wheels turning again.
Despite what we used to think about concussion recovery, it turns out that exercise and mental stimulation are key to concussion recovery. And because exercise promotes healing in the brain, your goal is to pair the two.
That could look like doing some light jogging and then reading a book right after. Or walking on the treadmill at an include for a while before taking a quick work call. Just stick to moderate physical and mental exertion—don’t get too crazy! A high-intensity spin class followed by running a big meeting at work would be too much.
And, of course, don’t do anything that increases your risk for another concussion. And, if an activity flares up your symptoms, stop and rest.
#3 Return to Work and Life Slowly (If You Can)
As much as you can, take your recovery slow. Don’t do too much too fast. One way to do this is to set up a gradual return to work (or school) schedule where maybe you go part-time for a week or two and then go back full-time if that goes well.
We recognize there’s some pretty solid privilege required to take us up on this suggestion, though. Not everyone can take time off like this. If that’s you, we see you. Know that anything you can do to slowly build up to your old routine is great.
If you can’t take time off, maybe you plan to rest on your lunch break or arrange for a little more help at home while you recover. Or, you could try asking your boss/teachers if you can do different or varied tasks for a few weeks—maybe you can do less screen-based work for a bit. Or, if you work on your feet, maybe they could assign you some seated work.
Our Advice: Make Healing Your Concussion a Priority
Your concussion is an “invisible” injury so it might be hard for you to justify your need for rest, time off, and appointments that—let’s be honest—aren’t cheap! Especially if your boss is suspicious or your partner doesn’t understand. We get it.
Try to put your concussion on the same level as any other VISIBLE injury a person could suffer. (And encourage people in your life to do the same.) If you broke your leg, you’d get a cast right away and follow the rest and rehab instructions your medical team gave you, right? So would the people in your life. So as much as you can, try to treat your concussion the same way.
At the end of the day, it’s your BRAIN we’re talking about here—you kinda need it! 🤪 Ultimately, if you can’t look at a screen or run or see without feeling like garbage, your ability to work, study, make money, and/or enjoy your life will decrease significantly. And we definitely don’t want that for you!
We’re Here To Help You Heal
At Capria, we also take a whole-person approach to concussion care. That means we start by listening and learning your whole story. Then, we provide the treatment that’s most effective for you, as an individual.
Depending on what you need most, your concussion treatment plan could include a mix of methods, modalities, and treatment styles like:
Manual Therapy
Joint Manipulation
IMS Needling
Massage
Gentle Active Rehabilitation
Our clinic has tons of 5-star reviews. And we have a concussion-trained physiotherapist who’s here and ready to help you!
Complete the form below to book your concussion physio assessment. Or email us with any questions you have.