When a concussion occurs, the impact from a blow to the head or indirect contact like whiplash, the brain hits the inside of the skull, causing brain bruising. When this occurs, a number of symptoms can follow, including:
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Confusion
- Unsteadiness
- Blurred Vision
- Sensitivity to light
- Reduction of visual field
- Difficulty reading
Around 4 million concussions occur each year, with 10-20% of them resulting in symptoms that can last weeks, months or longer, according to VisionHelp. That means up to 800,000 individuals, many of whom are likely athletes, may still be experiencing the debilitating effects of a concussion.
For many athletes, the rush to get back on the field can overtake the severity of the symptoms and coaches, trainers or even the athletes themselves may try to speed through recovery, without fully healing or rehabilitating the parts of their brain that need to rebound.
Juliet Machado, Certified Optometric Vision Therapist, emphasizes the importance of patience in recovery.
“It’s difficult, but patience is critical to recovery. Setting realistic, small, short-term goals will help ensure someone has the best chance at recovery,” Machado said.
“When you set big goals that aren’t really attainable, it can be tough to move forward in the process of recovery because you feel like you constantly aren’t hitting the mark. It becomes discouraging. By setting small, attainable goals you stay motivated and want to keep moving forward, even if the recovery gains are slow to come.”
When it comes to recovery, another challenge can be conflicting goals.
Athletes are driven individuals, they want to bounce back to their pre-injury level of performance. Coaches are eager for the full team to be in attendance. Doctor’s want to see an athlete hit certain indicators before allowing even light workouts, let alone full clearance. The rehab team should work together to juggle the ambitious goals of the athlete, the desires of the team, and the medical professionals who want to see a certain level of progress before allowing the athlete to return to action.
Dr. Bruce Wojciechowski, Doctor of Optometry and Founding Partner of Northwest Eye Care Professionals in Oregon, said no matter what the indicators are saying, his focus is on the athlete.
“Sometimes a person is doing well, but the indicators just aren’t there. Sometimes the person is symptomatic still, but the indicators look great,” Wojciechowski said. “Every person and every concussion is different. We have to focus on the person and what they need from us, not what we need from them.”
When recovery is rushed, an athlete returns to action only partially healed, increasing the risk of an additional injury. When concussed a second or third or fourth time, an athlete will experience more damage to the same systems and the damage will be exponential rather than cumulative, according to Wojciechowski.
“While you are still healing, high-demand athletic situations can quickly become overwhelming. This leads to a decrease in visual-spatial processing and an increased chance of re-injury and set back.” Machado said.
Following a head injury, ensuring that athletes have reached a desirable level of progress in redeveloping and enhancing their visual and motor abilities, before having them return to action, is paramount to their health and safety. Patience is an essential component in this rehabilitation process.
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