Many patients don’t know the best way to treat a head injury like a concussion because it doesn’t present with an obvious need for care, like an open wound or a broken bone. Coupled with the fact many concussion symptoms do appear to improve over time with rest, and you’ll find that a lot of concussed patients simply try to take it easy on their own for a bit after their injury. New research suggests that this isn’t the optimal way to overcome a concussion.
According to new research from Oregon Health & Science University, patients who suffer a concussion or similar head injury should connect with a physical therapist as soon as possible for the best recovery outcomes. For the study, researchers looked at the recovery results of 203 randomized patients who had suffered a concussion. One group began physical therapy within a week of their head injury, while the other group began physical therapy six weeks after their accident. Both groups were assessed for balance control after undergoing six weeks of rehabilitation with a licensed physical therapist.
PT For Concussion Management
Researchers noted that most participants across both groups recovered naturally from a concussion within four weeks, but about 30 percent still dealt with lingering issues after this point. Within this group, it was the participants who delayed physical therapy that experienced the biggest deficits with it came to aspects of their health like balance, motor function and coordination.
“It means they’re balanced-challenged and don’t reach as quickly as someone with normal reaction times,” said senior author Laurie King, Ph.D., PT, MCR, professor of neurology in the OHSO School of Medicine. “If you’ve had a concussion and you’re not reacting as quickly with balance control, it’s natural to avoid precarious situations.”
That means that patients may opt to avoid certain physical activities like exercise or physical therapy that could actually be beneficial to their long-term health.
“We have people who come in and say they’re fine,” King said. “Then when we challenge them to turn their head while looking at a fixed point, they’re like ‘Whoa, that makes me feel sick.’”
Earlier access to physical therapy can help address some of these potential issues and reduce a patient’s risk of prolonged symptoms associated with their concussion. Of course, knowing which patients will make a strong recovery without intervention and which ones will have lingering issues if they don’t pursue physical therapy is a challenge. It’s difficult to accurately gauge the severity of a highly-individualized injury like a concussion, so there’s no tell-tale signs that you should or shouldn’t pursue physical therapy from the jump.
With that said, because you don’t need a referral to seek out physical therapy services, and because the downside of prolonged concussion-related symptoms is significant, it is likely a good idea to connect with a physical therapist after a concussion if you are interested in making the strongest and faster recovery possible. You may get there on your own, but you can have the peace of mind knowing that you’re giving your body and your brain the best chance to make the best recovery if you bring a professional into the fold. Let us help address your head injury on an individual level and help you meet your personal recovery goals.
For more information on how we help manage concussions and their related symptoms, reach out to the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today at (612) 339-2041.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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