THE FIRST 48 HOURS AFTER A CONCUSSION: A Practical Guide for Parents & Coaches

Getting an early medical evaluation and relative rest within the first 48 hours after a concussion makes you four times more likely to have a normal recovery and shortening the healing time.1

1. Don’t Rush It

On average, it takes around 16 days for symptoms to resolve for  most adolescents who sustain a concussion. However up to 30% can experience symptoms lasting longer than one month.

2. Rest Is Not Always the Best

Relative rest is recommended within the first 24-48 hours of sustaining a concussion. Adolescents should avoid highly strenuous and/or aggravating activities, or activities that would place the individual at risk of sustaining another head trauma.

This does NOT mean to do nothing. Engaging in normal activities of daily living is encouraged, so long as those activities don’t increase the risk of additional head trauma (i.e., riding ATV, biking, running).

3. Prioritize Safe Movement

With relative rest, a small, temporary increase in symptoms with activity is generally acceptable. An increase of no more than 2 points on a 0–10 symptom scale that settles within about an hour is considered mild.

Activity should cease if additional symptoms appear.

Activity the following day should regress if symptoms stay elevated beyond an hour.

4. Reduce Screen Time

Screen use should be reduced within the first 48 hours, compared to their normal usage.

This does not mean zero phone/tablet/computer/television, rather shorter periods of use, and stopping if symptoms worsen.

5. Make Sleep Habits A Priority

Minimize caffeine at least five hours before bed.

Try to go to sleep around the same time.

If you cannot fall asleep within 15-20 minutes, it’s recommended to get out of bed and engage in a calm activity, like sitting in a comfortable chair, and to return to bed when sleepy.

Investing in curtains that block light, using heavy blankets or towels over the curtain rod, or even cardboard or foam board to block light may be helpful, as can a sleep mask.

6. Contact Necessary Stakeholders

This may be coaches on their other teams, the school athletic trainer, school nurse for return-to-learn and teachers for help in the classroom.

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1: Mathew AS, Caze T 2nd, Price AM, Vasquez D, Abt JP, Burkhart SO. Association between days for concussion recovery and initial specialty clinic evaluation within 48 hours. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2024 Apr 2;16(1):75. doi: 10.1186/s13102-024-00866-w. PMID: 38566116; PMCID: PMC10986090.