What Early Concussion Recovery Should Look Like
The first few days after a concussion are essential to your recovery. Knowing how to manage this early stage can make all the difference in avoiding setbacks and ensuring a smooth return to daily life.
What Should You Do in the First 48 Hours?
The initial 24-48 hours following a concussion should focus on relative rest. This means avoiding activities that massively worsen symptoms from rest while still exposing yourself to easy daily tasks. The first couple days should look like:
- Limited screen time (phones, computers, and TV).
- Avoiding physical activity like running, weightlifting, or high-intensity sports.
- Limiting cognitive strain from activities like school, studying or work.
- Resting in a calm, quiet environment.
Relative rest doesn’t mean complete inactivity. Gentle activities like short walks or light reading can immensely help with preventing the development of hyper sensitivity.
Relative Rest means gentle activity for the first 2 days
What is Normal to Experience After a Concussion?
After the initial rest period, the focus shifts to a gradual and guided recovery. This involves re-exposing you to physical and cognitive activities as your symptoms allow with a tolerable level of aggravation. However, overdoing it too soon can lead to setbacks.
A concussion trained physiotherapist can:
- Assess your symptoms and recovery progress.
- Develop a personalized plan to reintroduce physical and mental activities.
- Provide exercises and treatments to manage headaches, neck pain, muscle tension dizziness, and balance issues.
- Help you transition back to school, work, or sports based on your stage of recovery.
Why Guided Recovery Matters
Without proper guidance, recovery can feel overwhelming, and symptoms may stick around longer and more intensely than necessary. The expectation, like most injuries, is to gradual recover and for adults to be back to their usual activities by 2-3 weeks and 4-5 weeks for kids. Keep in mind, roughly 1 in 5 people can have a longer recovery based off of their initial Concussion presentation. A physiotherapist can ensure you’re progressing at the right pace and reduces the risk of prolonged symptoms.