Medical Marijuana: The Highs and Lows

Posted on November 18, 2017 by / 0 Comment

Marijuana & the Brain

You’ve likely heard about the concept of medical marijuana and its accompanying politics, controversy, and potential benefits. Marijuana is a drug that contains a variety of compounds including THC, which is the part that causes the “high-effect” known of marijuana. In the brain THC, acts on receptors of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The human body has THC-like compounds that are made naturally within the cell. When the ECS is activated it can cause various biological changes in the brain that cause things like apoptosis, inhibition, anti-inflammation, and increased appetite.

THC has various medical effects that it induces through the ECS. These are a variety of things that people are looking into acquiring marijuana to help them deal with. This includes pain management, stress relief, seizure treatment, and an anti-cancer treatment. People are even wondering if medical marijuana could be the answer to the rising opioid issue. With all of these benefits, why is marijuana so slow on being legalized? Why is it not being more extensively researched? Why does society think marijuana is such a big and bad deal? Why is simply being in possession of a substance that may have health benefits a felony that has a consequence of incarceration for years?

Current Research & Legal Status

According to the FDA, “23 states have statutes recognizing “medical marijuana”, 4 states and DC have approved recreational marijuana, and 13 states have statutes recognizing cannabidiol for medical use” as of March 2016. This appears to be steps being taken towards the decriminalization of marijuana, but movement is slow. Even if it becomes legal by state to use marijuana in either a medical or recreational form, it’s still a longways from marijuana to become fully accessible to all that would benefit. Marijuana is not approved by the FDA, so that makes obtaining it difficult. In order for a doctor to be able to prescribe it they have to have a special license and since it isn’t approved insurance doesn’t cover it.

In order for the FDA to recognize marijuana, more research needs to be completed. The FDA has marijuana regulated as a schedule 1 substance because it has high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision. The different schedules are listed in a figure below. Due to this regulation, any clinical trials and research into marijuana requires special registration with the DEA, in addition to the numerous hoops already in place by any FDA approved clinical trial.

Marijuana hasn’t been accepted officially in medical use because there aren’t adequate and well-controlled studies proving its efficacy. But, how can marijuana become a medical treatment if research is so difficult to complete with all the regulations. Current research is working on two compounds, cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and a couple drugs are also in clinical testing, Sativex for cancer pain/spasticity and Epidiolex for childhood seizures.

Going Forward

So, before marijuana is legalized in the U.S. more research needs to be done. More research into the compounds that make up marijuana might indicate a better compound to use for medical benefits without any of the other side effects. Also, looking into what method of administration would be best for achieving the benefits as well as being easily regulated is important. Then, there is of course the need to look into any adverse effects of even the medical compounds of marijuana. So, bottom line is…more research is needed before much more can happen.
For more about marijuana and the brain: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235894864_Endogenous_cannabinoids_revisited_A_biochemistry_perspective
Feature image: http://alphanewsmn.com/lawmakers-think-high-time-medical-marijuana-legislation/
10 benefits image: http://dirtyworldnews.com/us-medical-marijuana-legalization/medical-and-health-benefits-of-marijuana-and-cannabis/
Legalization image: https://moneymorning.com/2016/11/09/map-states-legalizing-marijuana-in-2017/
FDA Schedule image & info: https://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofMedicalProductsandTobacco/CDER/UCM498077.pdf

Community/Disease/Health/Hot topics

What You Need to Know About Concussions

Posted on November 14, 2017 by / 0 Comment

What do concussions do to your brain?
One big reason concussions are so dangerous is that they cause an influx of ions going into your neurons. What does that mean? Ions are used by your neurons to send information from one area to another. Your brain uses a lot of its energy (ATP) to make a gradient of ions that allows information to travel quickly. So when you mess up the gradient of ions, your neurons cannot properly send information from one area to another. Because of that we see the decrease in attention, headache, and pain with light.

Which sports have the highest concussion cases?

Cycling
Football
Baseball/softball
Basketball
Water sports
Powered recreational vehicles
Soccer
Skateboarding
Exercise
Skiing, sledding, snowboarding

These rank the highest visits to the ER due to concussions, this does include doing the sports for recreation.
What should you do after a concussion?

Avoid your triggers
SLEEP
Don’t think hard, study, or learn new material
Take your time and DON’T rush your recovery

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Measuring the Impact on the Brain: Concussions and How to Recover

Posted on November 14, 2017 by / 0 Comment

Brain Injuries

Concussions are considered to be TBIs (traumatic brain injuries). Most concussions are mild, but they can scale up to severe depending on the intensity and symptoms of the injury. The impact of the brain on the skull causes membranes and axons to get stretchy, leading to a disruption of ion movement. This imbalance of ions, known as the energy crisis takes 7-10 days to return to normal, at which point it is typically considered safe to return to play for athletes. The increased ion flux also leads to migraines, often a symptom of concussion.

Energy Crisis

This is the increased risk of subsequent concussions due to ion imbalance
First 10 days post-injury are the greatest risk for permanent brain injury and subsequent concussions
If subsequent mTBIs occur before full metabolic recovery, more severe hypometabolism and memory impairment
Reduced glucose metabolism causes the increased risk

Concussion Horror Story: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a degenerative brain disease that is most commonly found in athletes, veterans, and others with a history of brain trauma. CTE has gained attention due to the increasing publicity of NFL players suffering from this disease and its symptoms. Symptoms include: memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, and paranoia. Cognitive symptoms tend to appear later than mood and behavioral symptoms, usually in the patient’s 40s or 50s.
In CTE, tau forms clumps due to impaired protein degradation mechanisms. These clumps spread throughout the brain, causing neuronal cell death. Hundreds to thousands of hits to the head cause this tau accumulation over time, with the best evidence pointing towards sub-concussive impacts rather than full-blown concussions. There are also several risk factors that make a person more susceptible to developing CTE, such as age of first exposure to head impacts and length of exposure to head impacts.

Diagnosing a Concussion

Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) is an online neurocognitive assessment with two components: a baseline test and post-injury testing. These are used together to assist in determining whether it is safe for a patient to return to an activity. This test measures key aspects of cognitive functioning such as memory, speed, and spatial span. The post-injury testing is used to help health care providers determine if it is safe to return to play.
The SCAT test is another diagnostic tool for concussions. It is very similar to the ImPACT test, although it is not administered online.

Safety Measures and Recovery

Avoid too much cognitive stimulation
Avoid contact activities that have a chance of receiving another concussive impact
Do not take pain relievers, as these will mask symptoms, making health assessments inaccurate
Be honest about symptoms, your brain is more important than playing in your next practice/game/match/contest
Rest your brain and body
Avoid driving too soon, your reaction time will be slower than usual

Community/Health

Concussions: The 12th Man Perspective

Posted on November 14, 2017 by / 0 Comment

A flag thrown, a player down on the field, a stretcher carrying them off the field, a game that moves on while a player is tested for concussions.
The NFL is progressively taking concussions more seriously, so it is essential for you, the 12^th man, to understand the impact of concussions (for all our non-football readers, the 12^th man refers to the crowd of fans, who hold an important role in hyping up the players toward a win).

Football collides with science…

We’ve all seen it: that incredible hit where the opponent crumbles back against the shoulder pads of your player, and you feel a mixed sense of cringing and power. The power of your player’s hit is causing the opponents brain to slosh against their skull.

When the brain sloshes, the membrane around the brain is stretched and sometimes creates holes, causing a leaking of ions. This ion-leaking leads to the brain becoming overactive, leading to increased depolarization and glycolysis, as well as decreased oxygen delivery.
The overactivity of the brain combined with decreased oxygen necessary to complete these functions leads to an energy crisis. When cells cannot complete their functions, the neurons can die and not communicate signals like normal.
This process is highest for the first 7-10 days following concussion incidence, but can occur for up to a year and have long-term implications. The ion influx causes migraines short term, but the sloshing causes neural axons to stretch or break.
These combined factors alter neurotransmission and can cause slowed cognition and decreased reaction time. Repeated concussion incidences can lead to Chronic Traumatic Enchephalopathy (CTE), where holes are formed in brain matter from membrane stretching and neuron death.

Let’s go back to the simple days…

During classroom discussion, we explored the option of not improving the quality of the helmets to prevent concussions, but rather reverting to the much simpler leather football helmets of the 1930s. Without the protection of advanced reinforcements and impact-monitoring technology, perhaps players would feel less invincible and more conscious of their actions.

This solution is likely not viable. Unlike the reversion of helmets, we cannot revert the physical strength of the players in the game. Football players today are faster and stronger than ever, making their brains just as susceptible to damage.

Your role in reducing concussions…

The NFL is adamantly trying to find a solution to the concussion story as more CTE-related deaths surface. This is often met with systemic pressure against change.
Restricting and fining certain hits and blocks makes players tread more cautiously. Those players are then met with pressure from their coaches to make plays and win games, which ultimately stems from the fans, their primary source of income from entertainment.
Your participation as the 12^th man holds an integral role in the NFL’s mentality toward concussions. It’s good to remember that every football player is a person trying to make a living, and has a life off the field, too.
For players to be able to play smarter and not harder, changes needs to occur at every level of the system: no game is worth a lifetime of brain damage.

Community/Hot topics

Cutting Football Some Slack

Posted on November 14, 2017 by / 0 Comment

Featured Image: Author

Football and New Equipment

As many people know, football has been under a lot of scrutiny in recent years due to its high prevalence of concussions. New rules and regulations are being tossed around left and right in order to decrease the risk of concussions and ensuring players’ safety. New helmets that are heavily padded have been presented in order to reduce the risks of concussions.

Researchers have also gone as far as to create what is known as a “Q-Collar.” This piece of equipment wraps around a player’s neck, placing just enough pressure on their jugular that it will increase brain blood flow and essentially create “air bags” around the brain. The idea came from observing head-ramming animals, such as woodpeckers and understanding how their body allows for constant brain impact.

How does one get a Concussion?

When your head is subjected to hard impact, your brain sloshes around, ramming into your skull. This causes your brain cells to undergo what is called mechanoporation, meaning that their membrane stretches. The stretching leads to more movement of ions in the brain, throwing off the normal concentration levels kept in and out of the cells. Your brain will try to restore normal levels, but unfortunately it costs energy (ATP). This can lead to a concussion and if not given the proper time to heal, the concussion can worsen.

Back To Football…

While it’s great to see precautions are being taken, it is important to realize that football is not the only sport showing a high number of concussions. In fact, according to a Washington Post article published last March, football was ranked number four in head injuries for high school sports. The high school sport with the highest number of head injuries was actually girls’ soccer. And so, with this in mind, it might be time to cut football some slack. We need to start looking beyond this one sport and take into account that multiple sports are having issues with head injuries.

Photo Credit: Washington Post

Community/Health/Hot topics

How Many Is Too Much: Concussion and What You Need to Do

Posted on November 14, 2017 by / 0 Comment

Injuries can happen at any given time in a person’s life. Whether you are riding a bike, walking a dog, playing a sport or even going downstairs in your basement (trust me this actually happened to me) some of them happen spontaneously while others can be controlled. The severity of an injury to a part of a body, whether an ankle, knee, shoulders or back can lead to minor or major implications to that part of the body. Restricting movement and ability for a person to do things they used to do freely. When a person hits their head, several things might happen. They might get a cut, a headache or even a concussion, which would qualify as most severe.

Concussions were once thought to cause short term effects only but as technology and research improved, we now know that concussions can lead to long term effects, especially when a player/person sustains several of them. In fact, high-impact concussions have been linked to a degenerative brain disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
Most sports team trainers will tell you three concussion are too many, there is no evidence that proves that three concussions are the deal breaker. In fact one concussion can be just as severe and damaging to a person’s brain as three. The severity of the concussion depends on how hard the point of impact was and the person themselves.
The severity of one’s symptoms can convey how bad the concussion is. Symptoms like:

difficulty thinking and concentrating (cognitive)
difficulties interpreting movement and balance problems (vestibular)
issues with vision and ocular-motor function (ocular)
migraine
neck pain
anxiety and changes in mood

Concussion and the brain
There are a few things that happen when a person gets a concussion or after one. Besides the obvious symptoms, other things happen in the brain. The two main things are:

Ionic flux and Glutamate release: injury to the brain causes ionic flux and hyperacute glutamate to release. This then triggers voltage or ligand gated ion channels, which lead to depression-like state.
Energy crisis: in an effort to restore ionic and cellular balance, ATP- requiring membrane ionic pump shift into overdrive, leading to an increased demand of glucose( energy), relative depletion of intracellular energy reserves, and increase in ADP.
OTHER complications are. Cytoskeletal damage, Axonal dysfunction, altered neurotransmission and Cell death.

What can I do to recover?

Rest your brain
Reduce physical and mental demands
Use strategies for your thinking problems
Take care of your basic needs
Resume exercise and sports gradually
Get your doctors approval for driving
Resume work or school gradually Prevent a 2nd, 3rd…or 4th concussion

Studies show athletes who continue to play following a sport-related concussion double their recovery time. Not only that, but they also tend to have worse symptoms, and more significant impairment in the aftermath. There’s also the potentially-fatal second impact syndrome, which occurs when an already-damaged brain gets hit again and swells up dramatically in response. That sudden change is often deadly, and those who survive spend the rest of their lives severely disabled.
As an athlete who has had multiple concussions the biggest advice I would give to you, is to listen to your body. If you feel like you are not 100% do not return. Just like any other injury on any body part, if you don’t let it heal the body part will never be same. And this might apply to the brain as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgChTeALF7g

Disease/Health/Hot topics

The Impact of Concussion

Posted on November 14, 2017 by / 0 Comment

Concussion is starting to be such a prevalent topic in our society. It seems as though we should be able to create better helmets and more pads to protect people from head injury. However, the helmets we have are not adequate to protect us and here is why:
Concussion:
When a hit to the head takes place, our brain moves around in the skull bouncing back and forth. This blow to the brain causes ionic flux and an excessive release of glutamate (the excitatory neurotransmitter in our brain). This causes an intense excitation of the brain. As the membranes attempt to restore their potentials, the ATPase pumps in the neuron cell membrane are working overtime. This causes a stress on the mitochondria of the cell as it rapidly attempts to break down glucose to use for energy. This causes hypoglycemia and a surplus of ADP. Also, the brain is unable to adequately send action potentials as the membrane potential is not established. Therefore, this whole process can be termed as “spreading depression” which moves through the brain at a rate of 2-5mm/min. This seems very slow, however, it can have detrimental impacts on the brain. Often, this spreading depression is associated with migraines rather than concussion. It is known to cause the “aura” that people see during a migraine. This is logical that these two things would be related as both carry the symptoms of headache, nausea and vomiting.

Spreading depression in the brain. from: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(09)70090-0/fulltext
Implications of Impact:
Although, this sounds as if it would have very negative effects in the brain, having this happen only one or two times has not been shown to have last impact. However, if another concussion happens within the time of recovery (which can be upto 1-2 weeks or even longer) there can be many negative side effects in the brain and can even cause death, called second impact syndrome. However, even more dangerous can be small impacts to the brain over time that aren’t necessarily labeled as a concussion. These are the repeated hits that seem to cause CTE in football players, hockey players and boxers. Therefore, the lasting impacts of concussion and even just repeated small hits to the head can have detrimental effects on a person’s life. It is important for us to have an understanding of the effects of concussions and understand that even though one might feel better, there could be lasting impacts in the brain.
For more information about the impacts of concussion on the brain read:
https://moodle.cord.edu/pluginfile.php/625289/mod_resource/content/3/2014%20The_New_Neurometabolic_Cascade_of_Concussion.3.pdf
Feature image from:

Traumatic Brain Injury: What You Need to Know

Health

Concussions: An Athlete’s Dilemma

Posted on November 13, 2017 by / 0 Comment

Injuries are par for the course in sports. Athletes experience their fair share of muscle strains and tears, but perhaps the most severe injury is one that occurs to a vital organ: the brain. Concussions are a common injury in sports today. It’s rare that you will meet an athlete who hasn’t experienced a concussion or at least doesn’t know someone who has. So, what exactly is a concussion and why are they such an alarming injury for an athlete?

Biological Changes from Concussions

During a brain injury like a concussion, the brain is literally shaken up like a bowl of Jell-O and bounces around inside the skull. This causes the neuron membranes to be stretched and pulled around, which allows ions and glutamate to enter and leave the cell. Movement of ions and neurotransmitters during injury cause an imbalance that requires the action of pumps to reestablish an equilibrium. These pumps require more energy, which means glycolysis is increased. All of these processes put the brain into overdrive.

With the increased glycolysis (energy production), glucose metabolism is decreased due to excessive glucose levels in the brain and systems being overworked and impaired. These biological changes during a concussion last for a few days following the injury. The ion imbalance, particularly Ca²⁺ ion imbalance, remains for 3-4 days post injury. Decreased blood flow and thus decreased nutrient delivery to the brain lasts for 7-10 days following injury. Finally, decreased glucose production and presence also lasts for 7-10 days post injury. These biological changes are responsible for the symptoms associated with concussions.

When is it Safe?

It is extremely important to let the brain fully recover from a brain injury, like a concussion. The mental and physical impairments are a hindrance enough from just one concussion, but if a person experiences a secondary injury before fully recovered from the first the biological effects are exacerbated and recovery will take more time.
Currently, we rely on an athlete’s word as to if they are experiencing physical symptoms associated with concussions. These would include migraines/headaches and mental impairments like a lack of ability to focus. Too often however, an athlete experiences pressures to return to play as soon as possible. This pressure can come from a variety of sources: family, friends, teammates, fans, personal ambitions, the love of playing, wanting to appear tough.
Can we trust an athlete to be truthful about what they are experiencing? Do they know the dangers of returning to play too soon? If only there was some biological test athletes could take to indicate if their brain was healed after a concussion.

Biomarkers: a biological indicator

Researchers are currently investigating biomarkers, molecules present in the blood and fluid in the brain that appear following injury, as a possible biological indicator of concussion. Their hope is to identify biomarkers that are indicative of concussion and use them to tell when a person’s brain has healed following a concussion. Biomarkers could also provide insight into treatment of concussions, telling us what treatments work best.

Until these biomarkers are identified and legitimized, we must rely on athletes’ personal accounts and medical professionals’ observations to guide athletes’ return to play timeline. In order to ensure athletes are waiting to return to play until fully recovered, they need to be educated on the consequences of a secondary injury and effects of sub-concussive hits. Sub-concussive hits are repeated injuries the brain experiences that are not severe enough to be identified as a brain injury but add up over time to cause biological changes like a concussion. Perhaps a prerequisite to playing sports should be a thorough training on concussion effects, recovery and prevention to teach athletes how to play smarter and not harder.
More on the science behind concussion here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4479139/pdf/nihms657022.pdf
Feature Image: http://upr.org/post/nfl-admits-cte-concussion-prevention-utah-youth-back
Other images:
http://atalantadancefitness.blogspot.com/2013/10/concussion-in-dance-and-aesthetic-sports.html
http://www.concussionclinic.co.uk/2_about.html
http://www.healthyroster.com/school-districts/
https://www.mccare.com/solutions/biomarker.html

Community/Health

The Science and Reality Behind Concussions

Posted on November 13, 2017 by / 0 Comment

Today, we hear about different famous athletes getting concussions all of the time. Or even friends who have taken a rough fall. To receive a concussion in today’s society is almost normal since most people have received at least one. So what are the implications of getting a concussion? Will one mild traumatic brain injury (mtbi) ruin your chances of getting into law school?

The above photo is an artstract that shows there are two points of impact in head injuries. The first point of impact is called “Coup”, which is where the head is hit initially. The second point of impact is called “Contrecoup” which is generally on the opposite side of the brain from coupe and is where the brain essentially rebounds off of the head from the initial hit.

The answer to that second question is mostly likely no. Getting one mtbi will not ruin your chances of law school or medical school. However, receiving multiple concussions, especially over a short period of time, might do just that.

What Happens in the Brain?

When you get a concussion, your brain will go into overdrive at first. The brain stretches out which causes mechanoporation. This is when the brain becomes pours and allows various ions to leak out. Because the brain is porous, potassium ions will leave and calcium ions will enter. Levels of the neurotransmitter glutamate will also increase. Since ion levels are out of whack, something called the sodium potassium pump will work harder to try and balance these levels out.
This requires more energy so there is an increase in glycolysis (energy formation). With this increase in glycolysis, glucose metabolism is decreased because of the excessive levels of glucose in the brain. After a short period of time, this excitation goes down and there becomes a problem of supply and demand. The supply of ions goes down and the demand for them increases.

Symptoms of Concussions

Migraines are one of the symptoms of a concussion. These are caused by an increase in ions within the brain. This ion increase is what causes the sensitivity of various of the bodies senses. One can also become disoriented, or even unconscious. Headaches, nausea, fatigue, ringing in the ears, and amnesia surrounding the event are also all immediate symptoms of a concussion. Some that may occur overtime is having a sensitivity to light, problems concentrating, and experiencing sleep disturbances, just to name a few.

Sports and Concussions

It is pretty common to get a concussion while playing contact sports. Currently, there are rules in place to make sure players don’t go back onto the field or court until they are fully healed. This includes a five step program that athletes must follow before they go back into the game. The first step (baseline) is to refrain from all cognitive and physical activity for at least 24 hours. This will go until there are no present symptoms. Then the athletes will go to step one, which is light aerobic activity. If they do not experience symptoms they can go on to step two, moderate activity. If they experience symptoms in step two, they will go back down to step one, if not they go to step three. They will go through this process until they don’t experience symptoms and are fully integrated back into their sport/ activity. This seems like a good program from hind-sight, but athletes can easier lie about experiencing symptoms and go back into the game sooner then they should. So, my question of you is… Do you think, with proper education on the implications of concussions, athletes will actually take the time to fully heal? This is a question that I have pondered for a while now, and I’d like to say yes they will. But at the same time for a lot of athletes its their livelihood and they want to be in the game, so its hard to say a definitive answer.

If you have a concussion or think you have a concussion, go to the doctor and get checked out. If you have any questions check out the link below. This contains a giant list of support groups for concussions all over the United States.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FcmJeilxXnb1PFCPeZKMUiLWqpRDMk_NUrL1JgU8UPs/edit#gid=0

Sources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/symptoms-causes/syc-20355594
https://moodle.cord.edu/pluginfile.php/625289/mod_resource/content/3/2014%20The_New_Neurometabolic_Cascade_of_Concussion.3.pdf

Support

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How to Deal With a Concussion: Possible Treatments and Solutions

Posted on November 13, 2017 by / 0 Comment

If you ask an athlete if they know someone who has gotten a concussion, the answer is likely to be a resounding “yes.” Ask them if they know more than one person who has received a concussion, and the answer is probably “yes” as well. In fact, the athlete you are talking to might have even suffered a concussion themself at some point during their career.

In 2011, it was estimated that 15% of all sports-related injuries were concussions (1). Another study found that on average, one player in every American football game receives a mild concussion (1). Although some athletes seem to recover from concussions relatively quickly, the damage that occurs to the brain can have a lasting impact on that person’s life, and even permanently affect their memory, cognitive abilities, and their personality (2). Concussions have a variety of physiological effects on the brain, including the damage and stretching of axons, upsets in ion balance and flux, higher rates of oxidative stress, higher energy demand and lower energy supply, and a lower oxygen supply to the brain (2). These physiological abnormalities can lead to permanent brain damage, especially in individuals who have suffered repeated brain injuries.

Given the prevalence of concussions among athletes, it’s important for anyone involved in sports to be aware of effective treatment options for concussions. This can give athletes a much better chance at achieving the best possible recovery from their injury. Here are some things you can do to minimize the impact of a concussion on your brain:

1. Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids: Certain omega-3 fatty acids can help repair neuronal axons that were damaged by a concussion, and including them in your diet can even help prevent axon damage from occurring if you receive a concussion. Fish, and fish oil, are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids (2).

2. Rest: It’s extremely important to rest for an adequate period of time after receiving a concussion. This means avoiding sports or other physically strenuous activities that put you at risk for getting another concussion. It’s also a good idea to avoid tasks that require intense concentration, such as schoolwork or reading, as they can wear out your brain and slow the recovery process (3).
3. Wear a helmet while riding your bike: This one may seem obvious, but too many cyclists don’t always wear a helmet while riding their bike. This drastically increases their chances of receiving a concussion.

4. Return to activities slowly: Once you’ve recovered enough to start up your daily routine again, don’t immediately return to all of the activities you did before receiving the concussion, but rather start up your activities again slowly, one at a time.

5. Take pain-relievers: It’s usually safe to take nonprescription medications like aspiring or tylenol after receiving a concussion, and these drugs can help alleviate some of the painful symptoms of a concussion.

Concussions are difficult to deal with and can have a permanent impact on your brain, but with the right kinds of recovery strategies, you can often get back to your normal self in a relatively short amount of time!

Sources: