concussions

acasey0123
acasey0123 Posts: 640 Member
edited November 9 in Fitness and Exercise
So on Tuesday I fell down the stairs and got a concussion and a neck strain with some other stuff- a pretty mild concussion I believe. Im only experencing really bad headaches and am taking it easy. Was wondering when I would be able to exercise again even if its light exercise

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    What did the doctor say?
  • melrose09
    melrose09 Posts: 271
    With a head injury, you should definitely consult your physician. Not something you want to mess with
  • acasey0123
    acasey0123 Posts: 640 Member
    What did the doctor say?

    the doctor was only saying about work related stuff...not being able to work til monday then at work no strenous activity or lifting for a week...but I feel strenous activity for work is much different then exercising
  • fightingautism
    fightingautism Posts: 84
    You need to go back to your doctor & get clarification. Only he/she is aware of your specific injury and can best educate you on how to proceed. FYI, I'm a nurse.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    I would wait until you are allowed to do strenuous activity.
  • onedayillbamilf
    onedayillbamilf Posts: 662 Member
    I would think if you can't go back to work, you can't work out. Head and neck injuries shouldn't be taken lightly.
  • cloud2011
    cloud2011 Posts: 898 Member
    No strenuous activity applies to all situations with concussions. I would refrain from exercise unless the doctor explicitly says it's okay. You can always call the dr. to check about it.

    And, with concussions it can't hurt to get re-checked. Please be aware that symptoms can last beyond the one week your dr. is recommending you wait.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    What did the doctor say?

    the doctor was only saying about work related stuff...not being able to work til monday then at work no strenous activity or lifting for a week...but I feel strenous activity for work is much different then exercising
    No, it's not.
    Take off everything until Monday, and if you just can't, keep it light at home and with somebody there to monitor.
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
    What did the doctor say?

    the doctor was only saying about work related stuff...not being able to work til monday then at work no strenous activity or lifting for a week...but I feel strenous activity for work is much different then exercising

    38b00c23-011c-4469-8e40-949ec172de2a.jpg

    I think take it easy means take it easy
  • corinnak
    corinnak Posts: 51 Member
    I had a concussion while training for my first half marathon. It took a few days for me to be aware of all of my symptoms. I did end up having some cognitive effects which I felt got worse when I attempted to run again. I ultimately waited about a month before I was able to continue with running at all. It was over a year before I felt like my symptoms were all completely gone. This was not my first brain injury, however.

    As others have said, it is a good idea to check with your doctor. Mine did not have a whole lot of concrete recommendations for me. They have come out with better guidelines in the past few years for student athletes, though, so that is something to ask about. It may be that a non-impact activity would also be less re-stressing to the injury. This video has good general information about the nature of a concussion and resuming activity:

    http://www.youtube.com/user/DocMikeEvans#p/a/u/1/aUaInS6HIGo

    Whatever you do and whenever you decide to do it, proceed with caution, start slowly and watch for signs of regression.
  • jess_blonde
    jess_blonde Posts: 229 Member
    Be very careful with head injuries. They can be devastating in the long run if they are not properly managed. Absolutely call your doctor and ask his opinion. General medical rules:

    1. Start at base. This means lying quietly in a dark, quiet room. If you have no concussion symptoms -
    2. Increase lighting and stimulation (television or music noise), stay lying down. If you have no concussion symptoms -
    3. Sit up and walk slowly for very short distances. No symptoms -
    4. Increase activity. Walk more or faster, try light tasks such as dusting. No symptoms -
    5. Increase activity. Try moderate activities.
    etc.

    If at any point you get *any* symptoms of a concussion you should immediately drop your level of activity back down to the previous level at which you had no symptoms. Remain at that level until you feel comfortable increasing activity again (or as long as is recommended by your doctor). Concussions and other head injuries are rarely managed as conservatively as they need to be so don't rush it! If you are finding you are having unusual neurological changes over the next six weeks, do not delay in getting further treatment and testing (a minor concussion for my dad nearly killed him four weeks later as it progressed into a subdural hematoma)

    ** DO NOT take any medications that may mask your concussion symptoms (no painkillers etc) prior to increasing your level of activity. If you take (for example) ibuprofen, you may not realize initially that you are having concussion symptoms because they have been masked.

    Feel better soon!
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