Research surrounding rest recommendations for the concussed population is discussed.
Rest is compared with activity avoidance, which is common in several chronic disease
and traumatic injury types. The case is made for rest recommendations tailored to
each head-injured individual. Research is presented which suggests that activity in
the initial stages of concussion recovery may be beneficial in reducing postconcussion
symptom duration and severity. Furthermore, a gradual increase in activity may potentially
aid in returning to normal daily activity sooner than those who avoid both physical
and cognitive activity during the acute stage of a traumatic brain injury. Finally,
the current state of rest recommendations is reviewed and anticipated future directions
are discussed.
Keywords
concussion - rest recommendation - activity avoidance - concussion rehabilitation
- brain injury
