How Can Physiotherapy Help With Concussion Recovery?
Concussions can affect more than one system in the body. Some people primarily experience headaches or neck pain, while others have difficulty with balance, dizziness, movement, or physical exertion.
A physiotherapy assessment can help identify physical factors that may be contributing to your ongoing symptoms.
Depending on your presentation, concussion rehabilitation may address:
Neck pain and headaches: An injury that causes a concussion can also affect the muscles and joints of the neck. Your physiotherapist can assess your cervical spine and determine whether neck dysfunction may be contributing to pain, stiffness, or headaches.
Dizziness and balance: Concussions can affect the systems involved in balance and spatial awareness. When appropriate, rehabilitation may include exercises designed to progressively challenge balance and improve tolerance to movement.
Exercise tolerance: Some people find that physical activity causes their symptoms to increase after a concussion. A gradual, individualized exercise program can help rebuild tolerance to physical activity without progressing too quickly.
Movement and strength: Time away from normal activity can also affect strength, mobility, and conditioning. Your rehabilitation program can progressively address these areas as your symptoms improve.
What to Expect During a Concussion Physiotherapy Assessment
Your first appointment gives your physiotherapist an opportunity to understand how the injury occurred, what symptoms you are experiencing, and which activities are currently difficult for you.
Your assessment may include questions and testing related to:
- Your current symptoms and symptom triggers
- Neck mobility and function
- Headaches and neck pain
- Balance and coordination
- Dizziness
- Eye and head movement tolerance
- Strength and mobility
- Exercise tolerance
- Your ability to complete normal daily activities
- Your goals for returning to work, exercise, or sport
The findings from your assessment help guide an individualized rehabilitation plan.
Concussion care may also involve other healthcare professionals. If your symptoms indicate that further assessment or treatment outside the scope of physiotherapy may be appropriate, your physiotherapist can recommend that you speak with your physician or another qualified healthcare provider.
Gradually Returning to Activity After a Concussion
Concussion recovery has changed considerably from the traditional advice of simply resting until every symptom disappears.
After an initial period of relative rest, current concussion guidelines generally recommend a gradual return to normal physical and cognitive activities based on an individual’s tolerance. The goal is to progressively increase what you can do without causing a significant or prolonged worsening of symptoms.
Your physiotherapist can help establish an appropriate progression based on your symptoms and response to activity. This may begin with lower-intensity activities and gradually progress toward more demanding exercise, work tasks, or sport-specific movements.
The pace of this progression is different for everyone. Rehabilitation should be adjusted according to how you respond rather than following the same timeline for every patient.
Returning to Sport After a Concussion
For athletes, feeling better is not necessarily the same as being ready to immediately return to full competition.
Returning to sport should follow a gradual progression that increases physical and sport-specific demands while monitoring symptoms. Depending on the sport, this can progress from light aerobic exercise to more challenging exercise, sport-specific movements, non-contact training, and eventually full participation once the appropriate medical clearance has been obtained.
Our physiotherapists can help you progressively rebuild exercise tolerance, strength, balance, coordination, and confidence as part of your return-to-sport process.
Persistent Concussion Symptoms
While many people improve over time, concussion symptoms can sometimes continue to interfere with daily life.
Persistent headaches, dizziness, balance problems, neck pain, fatigue, or difficulty tolerating exercise may benefit from a more targeted assessment to identify which factors can be addressed through rehabilitation.
Rather than treating every concussion the same way, our approach focuses on the symptoms and functional limitations you are experiencing. Your treatment plan can then progress as your tolerance and abilities improve.
Concussion Rehabilitation in Barrhaven
Advanced Physiotherapy has been serving Barrhaven and the surrounding Ottawa community for more than 25 years. We provide individualized, one-on-one physiotherapy focused on helping patients return to the activities that matter to them.
Whether your concussion occurred during sport, a fall, a motor vehicle accident, or another incident, our physiotherapists can assess your physical symptoms and develop a rehabilitation program based on your individual recovery.
Contact Advanced Physiotherapy in Barrhaven to schedule a concussion rehabilitation assessment.
