Jan 29, 2015More Rest Questioned
Concussion recovery continues to be one of the most talked about issues in sports medicine. New research shows that the commonly-cited treatment option of prolonged and strict rest may not be optimal for recovery.
In a recent Medical News Today article, researchers from the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee studied 88 concussed patients aged 11 to 22 and divided them into two groups. One group was instructed to follow five days of strict rest–no school, work, or physical activity–while the other was assigned one to two days of rest. According to the article’s main points:
In a recent Medical News Today article, researchers from the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee studied 88 concussed patients aged 11 to 22 and divided them into two groups. One group was instructed to follow five days of strict rest–no school, work, or physical activity–while the other was assigned one to two days of rest. According to the article’s main points:
- Strict rest patients had worse symptoms the first 10 days after their visit to the hospital than those in the short rest group.
- The care of concussed individuals should be tailored to the individual.
- Researchers recommend “A few days of rest followed by prompt follow-up with the pediatrician, sports medicine physician or other capable provider.”
“We should be cautious when imposing excessive restrictions of activity following concussion and mindful that the discharge instructions we provide patients may influence their perception of illness,” study co-author Dr. Danny G. Thomas told Reuters Health.
