Hi, I hope this is the correct service I am contacting. I have recntly been in hospital after falling off my bike and suffered both a concussion and fracture in my cheek bone I believe. I wanted advice on what exercise I can do. I was cycling, running and swimming (triathlon training) and going to the gym 3 times a week (weight training) before my accident.
Do you have any advice on what I can do and what is best to avoid/reduce for the time being as I am finding it quite stresful not doing much as well as being off work. I have been swimming once already and found it fine, I've also been walks which have been fine but do not feel they are anywhere near equivelant to what I was doing before the accident.
Kind regards,
Calum Gilchrist
Written by
animal40
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Hi. I can't advise you myself, but I believe the Headway helpline would be able to. They have great information and support. Their number is 0808 800 2244. Best wishes. ⭐
I CrossFit. I hit my head in Nov 2018, had no medical assistance - GP terrible. Continued to train and work like nothing had happened. Suffered terribly. For me, having no medical assistance and not understanding I was injured, I believe that prolonged my injury and subsequent recovery. I had to eventually stop doing all exercise (even 5 mins on a static bike), almost three years later I still struggle with symptom aggravation because of exercise.
You, however have medical input but, be very careful. What are your resting symptoms? How is your balance and coordination? What are ALL of your symptoms? Write them down.
If you do swim, run cycle etc, keep a diary of how you feel after. Unless I have really overdone it (I can give myself migraines on the spot) I tend to find out the morning after just how I have aggravated my symptoms. You need to stay on top of symptom recognition and REST - I MEAN REST - when you have aggravated your symptoms beyond resting - if you have pain, if you have noise sensitivity, light sensitivity or tinnitus, or nausea, or the dizzies - any symptom that is aggravated beyond resting, is a sign that your system is struggling to cope and you WILL prolong this injury. Make no mistake - you will prolong this injury.
That being said, it's trial and error. Lower your expectations - start at zero. Start of slow, like you are training your system to get used to exercise all over again. You wouldn't just run a marathon right. Act like like until you run for five minutes and know you haven't aggravated symptoms. Act like that until you cycle 10mins and know you haven't aggravated symptoms. Act like that every time until you are 100% sure your brain and body can do it. You will know. It is a slow process, but put the foundation work in at the start and you won't suffer for going too hard, too soon. #STAY ON TOP OF SYMPTOM RECOGNITION# - I cannot stress this enough.
I know it is very difficult to go from 100 to zero, you are injured, just like a broken leg but, the difficulty lies in not being able to see our injury. Treat it like a broken leg.
But also remember, our brain does EVERYTHING. It gets us up in the morning, it coordinates movement, it regulates hormones, it keeps us cool - sweating etc. As you are going along pay attention to nervous system activation - keep an eye out for fight or flight responses because a stressed system will deregulate balance in your body - this is another symptom of over doing it for me - anxiety, body odour, palpitations, excessive sweating- all stress signs from my body that need paying attention to. Amongst other things, I also struggle to read and process information when I have overdone it so if you can identify these, what seem like small symptoms being aggravated, you will speed up your recovery and not put yourself in a constant cycle of training then torture, training then torture like I have done.
Also know that you will recover, this will pass - eventually, you need to stay proactive in being honest with yourself about symptoms and RESTING when they are kicking your ass.
Welcome to the world of pain vs patience, it sucks 🙃
Oh light weight high reps - as above - lower reps/sets - SYMPTOMS!!! Stop if you aggravate them during weight training- no bones about that one. Pay attention to recovery after reps/sets, if you get dizzy stop, how long does it take for it dissipate? Do another set, SYMPTOMS, stop if you aggravate, how long to dissipate. Do not push through - you will prolong!!
Hello Calum, after a concussion / MTBI, people are typically initially unable to exercise to the same intensity as before, but you can train ( slowly) out of this - the trick is basically to exercise at a pulse rate well below that which triggers concussion symptoms and build up very slowly - going back to a pulse rate level which doesn't trigger any symptoms if you overdo it and maintaining that before gently increasing again ( tight band round head, nausea, dizziness are typical). Leddy in Buffalo USA does a lot of research on this - so worth looking him and his research up on the web. The Idea is that the exercise problem is caused by dysfunction in the autonomic nervous system.
Twenty minutes a day was all I was allowed under this protocol. My physio did say avoid swimming as you can push your heart rate up too easily/ quickly. (Though I had swum gently before that)
The concussion specialist physio I went to ( after being referred by the neurologist) also wanted me to avoid all weight lifting - even saying I should use a smaller watering can, and do more trips with it last year.
The other thing that can affect exercise is oculomotor and vestibular issues. I had to exercise on a stationary bike for a long time, and even then only go onto an elliptical /cross trainer, rather than a treadmill, to avoid too much head movement.
Hi Jen how are you doing? I’ve been doing the balance exercises seem to be working ! I’m having days were I don’t feel off balance for most of the day. Still waiting for appointment for testing with Neuro . Anyway have a good weekend. 😊
Hi Jerry, that's really great news! Have you been able to progress the exercises to the harder versions? You've cheered me up - I'd foolishly done too much when I was feeling good, and so have had a bit of a fatigue crash all week, so feeling sorry for myself basically...
Hi Jen I know the feeling! I’m moving at about 1/2 of normal speed right now . So I’m getting there. When we feel good or normal guess everyone tries to do things like we used to. Hope you feel better . 😊
Hi Jen hope you are doing well, question on the balance exercise where you walk and turn your head side to side are you supposed to do fast or slowly then speed up? I finally got app for nerouphsycologist but not till Aug. so I’ll continue the exercises as they are helping. 😊 Jerry
I did the walking exercise fairly slowly at first (the physio wanted me to go at a moderate pace in a sort of rythm (but it was really difficult at first because I kept overbalancing and having to stop)
Taking two steps forward then doing the head turn to the right and back within each third and fourth stride (I'm pacing up and down my hall here trying to work it out!) Then two more paces looking straight ahead, before the deliberate head turn to the left and back to facing front in the same way.. And yes, as it gets easier you can step up the pace a bit. I also tried it outside where I thought I wouldn't be observed.... You've made me realise how incredibly difficult it was originally actually. But this one helped enormously in dealing with busy environments.
Let me know how you get on - I think I'm going to put this on a separate post so other people can try ot out...
Thanks Jen, I was walking in a straight line and moving my head side to side and found myself walking off to one side Ha ha! Ill modify and use the 2 step method, should be alot easier now. But my balance is improving , I'm doing it outside so i get some sun and fresh air, there's plenty of sun and heat here in California it was 95 yesterday so i do in the morning. I think that's a great idea should help others with their balance issues . Like I said i'm having days where i don't have that off balance feeling for some time . Thanks!
Oh I veered off to one side originally too - how interesting! Took a ridiculous amount of effort to just do such an apparently simple thing. Your weather sounds amazing - we're having a fairly cool and showery start to summer this year... Glad things are improving for you, that's excellent news 🌸
Hi Jerry, its good of you to ask, thank you. Fatigue has been quite bad on and off lately, life is more sociable as Covid restrictions ease up - but I'm tiring faster. On the plus side I'm painting more because my art classes are running again, which is great. Companiable quietness - perfect!
Reading a great book about brain injury at the moment - cowritten by a neuropsychologist- very enlightening about the impact of BI on the brain 'mindfulness and stroke' by Jody Mardula, with Frances Vaughan. Anyone with a BI would get something from it I think.
Hi Jen I’m doing good, nice to hear your back at painting again. Glad to hear your getting out more.I will check the book out. I’ve been playing my guitar again , I’m playing songs I haven’t played for years, guess my memory got jogged when I hit my head ha ha . My balance has improved so thanks again! Have a good day 😊
That's really great your balance has improved 😊👍 Do you think the exercise helps then? How interesting you can play 'old' songs, great activity with a BI I would think. Early-ish on after my injury I started cooking meals I hadn't cooked for years, and driving doesn't seem a problem either. My long term memory doesn't seem that affected, except sometimes when I'm explaining something ( I was a pension specialist in the old life) I notice that I slow up quite a lot - so my retrieval isn't perfect.
Loved the art class yesterday, needed to sleep afterwards, but great to concentrate for a few hours 😊
Yes the exercises have really helped, so I’ll be ahead of the game when I see Neuro next month. I can play guitar for about an hour before I get tired. My long term memory is good, the short term is where the problem is. I’ll forget I’ve got something on the stove like tea pot and water will boil out so now I use a timer to remind myself. I was a safety loss prevention manager for New Balance , my last work was as a locksmith, my own business. I still do on occasion but it’s precise work and it tires me out so brain is still healing I guess. I’ve found that a long conversation with someone makes me feel good but after a while I’ll start to forget words or words won’t come to mind as quickly. I wish I could draw or paint but I’m not an artist ! 😊
Hi Calum sounds like you were in very good condition when you were injured which helps, your body will definitely tell you what’s good and what’s not. I was training 2-3 times a week at the dojo for 2 hrs a session, after injury didn’t do anything after hospital for about 2 weeks then just started walking . Don’t know what symptoms your having post injury, but you just have to deal with them one at a time. If you want to heal your brain start high dosing Omega3 get online and research it. I’m sure your into good nutrition . I know when your used to working out sitting around starts getting to you. You can try body weight exercises depending on how strong you are right now but make sure you don’t raise your blood pressure to high , because it raises the pressure in your head also. Anyway that’s my experience. Jerry
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Post Concussion
Living with Post-Concussion Syndrome
Post Concussion Syndrome shaking
Post Concussion Syndrome
Post Concussion Symdrome
