Too much rest is not good for teens with mild concussion

A new study has found that too much rest for teens suffering from a mild concussion would not help in recovering from the brain injury, rather will do more harm on their health conditions.

The researchers concluded the findings following a comparative study between five days of strict rest and the traditionally followed rest of a day or two, followed by a gradual come back to the normal activities as symptoms faded.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin, showed no remarkable difference in balance or the functioning of mental condition between the teens who rested one to two days and those who rested five days.

Moreover, those teens who rested for five days showed more symptoms that lasted longer.

Study lead researcher Dr. Danny Thomas, an assistant professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at Medical College of Wisconsin, said, “Being told to rest for five days increased your rating of physical symptoms in the first few days and increased emotional symptoms every day for the next 10 days.”

Concussion, a type of brain injury, can hamper the normal functioning of brain. It is also a common type of sports injury that results from a blow or injury to the head or a harsh impact from a fall.

Some of the common physical symptoms for mild concussion included: nausea, headache, balance problems, vomiting, visual problems, dizziness, fatigue, sensitivity to light or sound, tingling and numbness. While the emotional symptoms include: sadness, irritability, nervousness and feeling more emotional.

The study’s findings were published online on January 5 in the journal Pediatrics.