Crosby has seen leading specialists for second opinions after headaches reappeared during strenuous workouts

With rumors swirling for weeks about Sidney Crosby’s health, Crosby and his agent Pat Brisson released an update on Crosby’s health for the first time this summer through the Penguins website just after 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday.

Here are some tidbits from the Report:

According to Brisson, Crosby began experiencing headaches when he got to 90% exertion and they decided to get a second and third opinion from leading specialists.

“We’ve had him see leading specialists because we want to make sure he gets the best care possible,” Brisson said. “The Penguins always encourage their players to get second and third medical opinions and have been very supportive of this.

Crosby has seen specialists from Georgia and Michigan.

As expected, there is no timetable for Crosby’s return and he will only return when he’s back to full health.

“We always knew this was going to be a progressive recovery – based on how he felt,” said Pat Brisson, Crosby’s agent. “With a concussion, there is not a definite recovery period like with a shoulder injury or a knee injury. That’s why we’ve never even set a specific goal for a return date like the start of training camp or Oct. 1 or anything else. He will play when he is symptom free.”

Although a big hurdle remains his inability to get through strenuous workouts, Crosby has not shutdown his workout regimen and has adjusted accordingly.

It is impossible to predict when Crosby will finally be at full health but doctors continue to contend that they expect him to eventually make a full recovery.

My take:The Penguins open camp on September 16th and this news of Crosby’s health is bracing the media and fans for the likelyhood that Crosby won’t be ready for the start of camp, let alone when the season begins in October, which should not be a real surprise. Although Crosby’s camp could have remained quiet for the next couple weeks until camp, I’m sure everyone will appreciate a detailed update from their end.

In the realm of things though, it could very well be a longtime before Crosby returns to game action. Still experiencing headaches after nearly 8 months and having to see multiple concussion specialists is not a good thing, regardless of the spin both sides put on it. It remains concerning that he can’t get through strenuous workouts and based on tonight’s report, you could make an argument he’s at the same point he was last April when he had to scale down his workouts after suffering headaches from hard skates.