Yeah, there's other concussion threads, but they're all really old and I have a specific question not previously addressed.
I'm 73 days out from a pretty serious concussion (helmet destroyed, no loss of consciousness per witnesses but no memory from 2 hours before to 4 hours after, slept 16+ hours per day for 5 days). Recovery started out really well, but has been complicated by a couple of unfortunate "incidents" that I can detail later if anyone cares. In the grand scheme of PCS I'm still doing quite well, but it's become clear that it's going to be a long time before I can ski or ride bikes at the level I'm otherwise physically capable of.
So, as the title says, would regular sauna use be good for healing my brain? Dr. Google didn't turn up much. I did find some studies that concluded that hyperthermia during or shortly after a concussion is likely to make things worse, but nothing about patients who are months out from the initial injury. In healthy subjects sauna use has been consistently shown to stimulate production of BDNF and otherwise have a host of health-promoting effects, so it seems plausible to probable that it's good for TBI recovery. But, I'm also quite leery of doing anything that could set me back.
I've basically written off skiing for this year. I've gotten out with my kid a few times from 2 pm-close just so he gets some time on skis this year. Skiing like a perpetual intermediate is about as satisfying as an over-the-pants handjob, so the juice isn't worth the squeeze otherwise. The rational part of my brain has also come to the painful realization that I probably shouldn't mountain bike this summer either, and even trail running seems like it might be problematic (constant bouncing, especially on the descents). So basically anything that brings me true joy and happiness is off-limits for the foreseeable future, which is less than ideal for my mental health. I'm trying to stay positive and keep my focus on what I can do. Joining the local Vasa for $10/mo and chilling in the sauna a few days per week sounds like a nice distraction, assuming it won't be detrimental.
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