A meeting of 37 concussion clinicians and researchers this week in Pittsburgh — described as “unprecedented” by UPMC, but viewed with skepticism by others — produced a consensus that prolonged rest, a popular treatment option for concussions, does not aid recovery and can actually worsen it.
“Experts here in Pittsburgh recognized how critical a need it was for us to bring experts together and finally make this statement,” Dr. David Okonkwo of UPMC said. “This is paradigm shifting. People may underestimate the impact of this, but on a global basis, every single person who sustains a concussion is told prolonged rest.