After a sports-related concussion, traditional recovery recommendations have previously called for weeks or months of rest, depending on the duration of a person’s symptoms.
But Michael Popovich, M.D., M.P.H., a sports neurologist at Michigan NeuroSport, thinks this method could actually do more harm than good based on his research in Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.
Exercise may actually speed up recovery.
“Shutting a person down from sports, or even just their normal, daily activities, causes significant issues in the athletes we treat,” Popovich says.
“Much of an athlete’s life is defined by their sport,” he adds. “Not addressing this psychological damage from a dramatic, prolonged lifestyle switch can create a systemic problem that prolongs concussion recovery.”
To schedule an interview with a U-M sports neurologist, contact Jordyn Imhoff at [email protected].
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