Concussions are a hot-button topic across all contact sports and something that we definitely wanted to understand better. Here at Essentia, many pro athletes are sleeping on our ProCor P1 mattresses that when Dr. David Soria MD, FAAEM Trauma and Emergency Care Specialists approached us to evaluate how Essentia mattresses can aid his players in recovering from sports-related concussions we were thrilled at the opportunity.
Dr. Soria found that Essentia products are expected to accelerate recovery by creating the necessary environment characteristics needed for concussion recovery. This means providing optimal conditions of oxygen levels, maintaining core temperature, and minimization of brain stimuli.
As Dr. Soria highlights in his evaluation Essentia mattresses provide a low VOC clean air environment, which increases the amount of oxygen in the recovery environment. Also, Essentia mattresses sleep 7 degrees cooler than internal body temperature over an eight-hour sleep cycle which helps to regulate core body temperature.
Now that we understand a bit more about concussion recovery from Dr. Soria, we thought it would be interesting to get an athlete’s perspective on what recovering from this type of brain trauma was like.
Jack Dell’Accio, Essentia Founder & CEO, Discusses Concussions and Recovery with Max Pacioretty, NHL Athlete
Jack Dell’Accio: You mention in the interview with the National Post about your concussion that: “I slept most of those two days”. Was this something that you were told to do by your doctors or was it more instinctual based on what your body was telling you it needed?
Max Pacioretty: I felt tired all the time with my concussion. I didn't have family around and I was in a hotel room, but my body felt so fatigued I had no problems falling asleep. The doctors recommended to rest, but I felt so comfortable with my eyes closed lying down, that sleeping was the best way for me to feel normal.
JD: After those 2 days, was sleep still something that your body was craving?
MP: I was definitely still a bit more tired than usual, but I felt after those 2 days and returning to Montréal, that those 2 days of sleep really helped me recover and was the first step in healing.
JD: You got back to the ice pretty quickly after the injury. Was your body telling you it was ready?
MP: Yes I felt completely ready when I returned. Obviously, with my body being shut down for a good amount of time, it took a few days to catch back up with the speed of working out and skating. But I no longer had felt any symptoms.
JD: Can you talk about being that in tune with your body that you understand when it is ready? You mention with a brain injury there is no timeline so how did you know you were ready to get back on the ice?
MP: When I began to feel normal in everyday situations and every possible situation on the ice as well. It's an injury that you cannot risk coming back early from, so you always tend to be a little more cautious with the recovery.
JD: The NHL recently announced that there will be a “spotter" at every game with the purpose of determining if a player is exhibiting visual signs of a concussion. With your concussion, did you find that your symptoms were noticeable?
MP: It is a good initiative to implement the "spotter" into the protocol. My situation was different. I knew right away I had a concussion and the doctors and trainers knew right away as well. They handled the situation perfectly in my eyes.
JD: Now that you are sleeping on an Essentia ProCor mattress, how do you feel it has helped you recover from the daily grind or more severe injuries like your recent knee injury?
MP: I feel that most of my recovering from injuries happen while I sleep. Sleep (in my mind) is the most important part of recovery, so I feel that being able to get the best sleep possible will help for overall recovery. That's why I felt the need to search for the best mattress and I felt that the Essentia mattress was the best out there. I am definitely satisfied with the quality of sleep I have been getting.
Thanks to Max for taking the time to give us an athlete’s perspective on concussion recovery. You can read Dr. David Soria’s full evaluation of Essentia mattresses and recovery from sport-related concussions.
Have you or your child ever suffered from a concussion? Have an opinion on sports concussions? Share your feedback below.
