In a recent consensus statement on concussion management, an American team of experts suggested that excessive rest after a concussion can actually hinder athletes’ recovery and prolong symptoms during the recovery process.

“Most athletes who have suffered a concussion will get better and be able to return to the game,” said Dr. Margot Putukian, a member of the expert panel who wrote the consensus statement.

Putukian Peers with her experts said that the number of initial symptoms experienced by athletes and their severity is the best decision for how long it takes to recover. However, most adult athletes will fully recover within two weeks, while children will fully recover within 4 weeks.

The range of concussion symptoms includes amnesia, disorientation, brain fog, slurred speech, headache, dizziness, allergy to noise, and visual impairment.

“Each injury is unique and has its own schedule. But athletes should be relieved to know that there are treatments there and that they can take some measures to help them recover,” Putukian said In the statement.

Although sports-related concussion rates are still a problem in the United States, Maximum rate This happens among men in collision sports such as football, wrestling, ice hockey and lacrosse. Concussion rates in women’s and women’s football are also high.

According to the updated statement, more complex recovery risk factors include younger age, previous history of concussion, loss of consciousness for more than one minute, and pre-existing migraines, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities, mood disorders, and motion sickness. disease.

Experts say that gradual resumption of moderate aerobic exercise in the first week after a concussion can help promote faster recovery.

Any persistent symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, and anxiety, are usually the result of a “complex interaction” between multiple factors, including past conditions and the physical and mental effects of a concussion.

Concussion treatment The statement said that attention should be paid to specific symptoms, which may include cognitive behavioral therapy and improved sleep, nutrition and hydration. Most injured athletes do not need any over-the-counter or prescription drugs to treat their symptoms.

Putukian and her co-team members also checked out related “Nutrition” —— Foods and nutritional supplements that provide health benefits —— And make sure they don’t help prevent or treat concussions.

They also pointed out in an updated statement that one of the most challenging parts of treating concussions is diagnosis. There are currently no specific blood or imaging tests that can detect concussions, and many symptoms may be related to multiple health conditions.

Therefore, the true incidence of sports-related concussions is still unknown.

The team members also suggested that the coaches and relatives of concussion athletes should be alert to symptoms that may indicate more serious brain or neck injuries and require immediate emergency care-seizures, loss of consciousness lasting more than one minute, persistent vomiting, exacerbation of extremities and Confusion, tingling or numbness of neck pain.

This consensus statement is an update of the consensus statement issued in 2011, published in British Journal of Sports MedicineThe panel members include experts from six major professional associations, including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Academy of Sports Medicine.