Concussion Recovery Strategies: Part II
The posts on this blog are based on my personal experience and are not medical advice.
As I noted in the last post, while I don't believe that your MD has the answers to accelerate your recovery from a concussion, there are a lot of good things that she will tell you to do. In this post I will talk about the advice that most MDs give and tools you can use to follow their directions.
The advice that most doctors will give you post concussion is to 1) avoid screens, 2) sleep as much as possible, and 3) stop playing contact sports or putting yourself in harm's way. Few, unfortunately in my opinion, will talk about neurofeedback or other progressive treatments. But for now, let's focus on how to best follow your MD's advice.
If your doctor pushes you to take time off from work, please consider this. If you're in a job where you think you "need" to be in or your team "needs" you, that's bad. You're not going to be an asset to your company or your team if you're cognitively at 70%. You're going to make mistakes (as I did) that will get you fired or close to it. Please consider telling your manager that you had head trauma and that your doctor has pushed you to take off two weeks to help you accelerate recovery (I'll have a longer post on this down the road).
Tools to help you avoid your phone, computer, and TV
1) No screens! Avoid your phone, computer, and the TV. If you have to use a computer download the app F.Lux to remove blue/green colors from your monitor. This turns the whole screen yellow/orange but is far less taxing on the eyes. If you are getting headaches while using a screen months after your head blow, this is a must.
2) The second tool to help you avoid screens is the app "Moment." Moment lets you set a daily limit of screen time to help you cut down on how much you are using your phone during the day (audiobooks, music, and podcasts don't count). Download this and fight your phone addiction along with your symptoms.
3) Audiobooks. Now is the time. You're going to be resting a lot and you can't read or watch Netflix. Download Overdrive on your phone to get free access to library audiobooks. You'll need a subscription (or a friend's (-: ). I share an account with several friends and we're able to talk about the books after we read them. Truly a fantastic app that will change your life in a small way even after you're fully recovered. If you don't think you're into books, you're wrong. Get the first Harry Potter and you can crush one per day.
Tools to help you sleep
4) There are, trust me, benefits to having head trauma. I'm not telling you that this experience is a net-positive, but the challenges that you face right now will make you stronger and force you to live in a way that is probably overall healthier. This is probably a good time to take a look at your sleep. There are two things to focus on: a) light and b) noise. Get blackout curtains on Amazon. Most come with mounts and rods. Cheap. Easy to install. If you're helpless around the house get a handyman to drill and set it up. It should take him 30 minutes at most. Make your room totally black at night and remove your modem (you may need to get an extension cord) or any other flashing lights. See if this does anything.
5) Download the Sleep Cycle app. It measures your sleep during the night. Measures quality, duration, and maps the depth of your sleep. Quite impressive.
Tools to help you avoid contact sports
6) Maybe it's time to take up Golf...? Or tennis. Just don't get too crazy. Avoid rollercoasters, jetskis, any watersport that involves getting pulled behind a boat. Watch your head in crowded restaurants.
On my next post I'll discuss the therapies including neurofeedback that can help accelerate your recovery.