How PT Can Help Your Child After a Concussion

When your child suffers a concussion, it can be a stressful and confusing time. Concussions can affect everything from physical movement to concentration and mood, so knowing what to do during your child’s recovery is essential.

My name is Kenzie, and I'm a pediatric physical therapist here at Metro Therapy in Fridley, MN. Today, we're going to talk about concussions and what to do when your child has a concussion.

How Long Does It Take to Recover from a Concussion?

The most important thing during the first one to five days following your child’s concussion is plenty of sleep. That means at least seven to nine hours. Of course, we don't want to overdo the sleeping and get to 12 hours, but we want to make sure your child is getting plenty of rest.

And along with that, we want to make sure they have rest during their day. So, with activities, we want to make sure that they have break times in order to let their brains rest and recover. Another big thing is hydration and a nutritional diet, which is of course just fueling that brain.

Triggers to Avoid After a Concussion

Then lastly, we want to avoid triggers that cause symptoms. So, what are those triggers? Well, we have a few:

• Visual triggers, which can include bright lights, busy environments, very noisy environments, and screens and reading.

• Cognitive triggers, so thinking tasks, which can be part of homework or part of doing any kind of reading or cross world word puzzles.

• Physical triggers, which can be just movement, so in gym, recess, sports running, and even chores at home.

Reach Out to Metro Therapy for Concussion Treatment

What you should do after this initial rest and recovery period is to come to physical therapy for an evaluation at least five to seven days after the initial injury. That allows us to do further testing so we can appropriately help your child continue their recovery.

I will be able to assess your child's specific triggers and any impaired areas to further progress safely to achieve a full recovery quicker. If your child has experienced a concussion, call to schedule an evaluation at Metro Therapy at (763) 3099099.