Lingering symptoms from concussion require rest
NEW BRAINTREE, MA A 17-year old athlete from Massachusetts left his home and went missing for 2 days this September. He was found and hospitalized with confusion linked to a sports-related concussion he sustained in a high school football match. The boy told neighbors he was heading into Boston to visit the Apple store and failed to return.
It is uncommon for athletes to have episodes of confusion that last as long as this according to Michael Sefton, Ph.D. In general, symptoms of concussion slowly evaporate with rest and are normally resolved in 2 weeks. "Athlete's need time to recover from concussion and prolonged postconcussion symptoms sometimes signal the need for specialized concussion management" according to Michael Sefton, Ph.D. Recovery from the first concussion differs from recovery from second and subsequent concussive injuries. Parents need to be aware that recovery from brain injury requires mental as well as physical rest. "That means no texting, no web surfing, no going to the movies, etc." according to Sefton.
Younger athletes need extra time to recover. A small subset of athletes experience symptoms for over one year after concussion including headaches, inattention, fatigue, sensitivity to light and sound and others. Students sometimes need school-based accomodations to adapt after being injured while playing high school sports. It is important not to be tied to a recovery clock. No athlete should return to play until he is cleared for play by a physician and has been completely symptom free. Every athlete recovers at his or her own pace and should return to play in a stepwise manner.
