A new research published recently shows that going back to school quickly after a concussion injury can help you heal faster and reduce the impact of those symptoms. This contrasts with what people usually believe, which is to take rest from school for a set period following a concussion.
Dr. Roger Zemek, who works at the CHEO Research Institute and teaches at the University of Ottawa, studied a lot of children with concussion symptoms. He noticed that way too many kids were told to stay home until they felt better. But this can actually do more harm and make it harder to recover. Dr. Zemek found out that if kids go back to school earlier, it’s much better for them in the long run!
Recently, the largest-ever research on children with concussions was conducted on over 3000 kids between the ages 5 to 18 across Canada. The lead researcher of this study was Dr. Zemek from the CHEO Research Institute and it took place in nine different pediatric emergency rooms.
The investigators looked at 1,600 youngsters and compared those young people who chose to go back to school shortly (under two days) or later while thinking about factors that could affect their decision whether or not to return to school (such as the severity of symptoms they have, any previous injuries they had from concussions, etc).
The researchers found that when teenagers ages 8 to 18 with a concussion went back to school within two days, they got better more quickly than those who didn’t. Those who were having more symptoms also benefited more from returning to school earlier.
According to Dr. Zemek, missing a couple of days of school may be normal after a concussion but it is important to get back to school as soon as possible. Children should make an effort to return to school even if they have symptoms because this can help them recover faster. Healthcare professionals have put together the Living Guideline for Pediatric Concussion which provides experts with tips on diagnosing and treating kids who have experienced concussions, along with support and accommodations that are needed in order to get back into the classroom.
Research has suggested that going back to school early might actually be a good thing. This is because it helps us avoid feeling lonely, reduces stress since we’re not skipping lots of classes, keeps our days regular with normal wake/sleep times and lets us do light and moderate physical activity quicker.
When you get a concussion, many things can influence when it’s time for you to go back to school. Things like the seriousness of your injury and various symptoms that you have can affect your timing on returning to school. Lots of research is needed to figure out what the best timing is for each individual in these situations.
A group of medical experts did a study to see if returning to school too early after getting a concussion was linked with having more symptoms two weeks after the injury. This research was published in JAMA Network Open on January 20,2023. The doctors and scientists looked at how much concussed kids benefited from returning to school later than usual. They found that those who returned earlier had more pain, headaches, and trouble concentrating even 2 weeks later.
