Concussion: can it hurt?

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

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Concussions are common in childhood. So far, the young patients have mainly been prescribed rest. Exercise even seems to promote recovery.

Researchers led by Anne M. Grool from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa interviewed around 3,000 children and adolescents between the ages of five and 17 who had suffered a concussion, or their parents. They only considered less severe cases in which the patients did not have to be admitted to the hospital.

Seven and 28 days after the accident, the scientists asked by telephone whether the symptoms were typical that could be associated with a concussion. These include headache, dizziness, nausea, irritability, unusual tiredness, or imbalance.

They also asked to what extent the patients had been physically active within the first week after the accident. The spectrum ranged from “no activity” to “light physical activities” such as going for a walk to participating in sporting competitions.

70 percent physically active early on

Despite the medical recommendation to take it easy after a concussion, 70 percent of the patients were physically active within the first week after their accident.

And that even seems beneficial: only 30 percent of them were still suffering from three or more symptoms of a concussion four weeks later. Of the children and adolescents who, on the other hand, had spared themselves, it was 70 percent. Those patients who had been fully involved in sports in the first week were best off. After four weeks, only 18 percent of them suffered from three or more ailments.

This is also an advantage for more difficult courses

The researchers were able to rule out that the result is due to the fact that children in particular, who recovered more quickly from the accident from the start, were physically active early on. Because even from the group of those children who still suffered from at least three symptoms the seven days after the accident, those who had moved early despite their complaints recovered better later.

However, since this is an observational study, there is still no final evidence that exercise actually promotes recovery from concussions. The fact that the data on the degree of activity are only based on statements by the patients or their parents and were not collected objectively also limits the informative value of the study.

Better blood flow, faster recovery?

"Physical activity is an effective way to improve cognitive function and brain health," the researchers write. One possible mechanism by which exercise could promote recovery from a concussion is through improved blood flow in the brain.

The gradual resumption of physical activity should therefore occur as early as possible after a concussion, the scientists write. Only actions that pose an increased risk of a renewed shock to the skull are better to be avoided.

Source: Anne M. Grool et al .: Association Between Early Participation in Physical Activity Following Acute Concussion and Persistent Postconcussive Symptoms in Children and Adolescents, December JAMA 20, 2016

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