The effects of rest and treatment following sport-related concussion: a systematic review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the evidence for rest, treatment, and rehabilitation following sport-related concussion (SRC). DATA SOURCES PubMed, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Cochrane Controlled Trials Registers, Health STAR, Sport Discus, EMBASE, Web of Science, and ProQuest. STUDY SELECTION Articles were included if they met the following criteria: original research, reported SRC as a source of injury, and evaluated the effect of rest or treatment. DATA EXTRACTION Study design, participants, treatment, outcome measures, and key findings. DATA SYNTHESIS Three studies met the inclusion criteria for evaluating the effects of rest and twelve for treatment. Low-intensity aerobic exercise may be of benefit. CONCLUSIONS The current evidence evaluating the effect of rest and treatment following SRC is sparse. An initial period of rest may be of benefit. Low-level exercise and multimodal physiotherapy may be of benefit for those who are slow to recover. There is a strong need for high level studies evaluating the effects of rest and treatment following SRC.