Effect of Exercise Recommendation on Adolescents With Concussion

Abstract

We examined the effect of a noncontact, subsymptom exacerbation early exercise recommendation on recovery from sports-related concussion. Retrospective analysis of adolescents, 10-17 years old, with symptomatic concussion, within 30 days of injury was performed. Time to recovery was measured between the early exercise group and a comparison group. A total of 187 patients studied—112 in the exercise group and 75 in the comparison group; 55% were male (n = 103). The exercise group had a significantly longer duration of concussion symptoms (18.5 days vs 14, P = .002), although both groups recovered within the expected time to recovery for concussion. When analyzed separately, males experienced longer time to recovery from injury (19 days vs 14, P = .003), than females, respectively (18 days vs 14.5, P = .18). Recommendation of early exercise resulted in significantly longer recovery from concussion in male adolescents but had no significant effect in female adolescents; both groups recovered within the expected time frame.