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Physiotherapy Clinical Pathway
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that temporarily affects cognitive and physical function. Symptoms like headaches, dizziness, light sensitivity, and brain fatigue can persist for weeks. Our concussion rehabilitation programs combine gentle neck therapy, vestibular exercises, visual tracking drills, and guided aerobic protocols to support safe return-to-work and return-to-sport activities.
Concussion rehabilitation is a structured physiotherapy program for recovering from a concussion, which is a mild traumatic brain injury caused by a direct blow to the head or a forceful movement of the head and neck, such as in a car accident or a sports collision. Modern concussion management has moved away from the old advice of complete rest, and instead uses a carefully staged program combining gentle aerobic exercise, neck treatment, and visual and vestibular exercises, each introduced at a level that does not provoke your symptoms, then gradually progressed as tolerance improves.
While most concussions resolve within two to four weeks, a portion of patients go on to develop persistent post concussion symptoms including ongoing headaches, dizziness, brain fog, and difficulty tolerating screens or busy environments. Complete rest beyond the first day or two after injury is now understood to actually slow recovery in many cases, while an individualized, carefully progressed return to activity supports faster resolution. Since concussion symptoms often overlap with neck injury and vestibular symptoms, working with a physiotherapist experienced in concussion management helps ensure all contributing factors, not just the brain injury itself, are being addressed.
Consider this program if you are experiencing any of the following clinical signs or conditions:
We use structured clinical steps to ensure safety and target your recovery goals effectively:
We assess neck mobility and strength, vestibular and balance function, visual tracking, and your aerobic tolerance to physical exertion, since a concussion can affect all of these systems.
We establish your specific exercise tolerance level using a graded testing protocol, then prescribe daily aerobic activity just below the point that triggers symptoms, which supports brain blood flow and recovery.
Where neck tension or vestibular dysfunction is contributing to headaches and dizziness, we treat these directly alongside the concussion program.
We follow a staged return to school, work, or sport protocol, progressively increasing cognitive and physical demands while monitoring for any symptom flare, adjusting the pace as needed.
Most concussions resolve within two to four weeks with appropriate management. For patients with persistent symptoms beyond that window, a structured rehabilitation program often shows meaningful improvement over 6 to 12 weeks, though timelines vary considerably based on injury severity and individual factors. We reassess regularly throughout your program to confirm you are progressing safely through each stage before increasing physical or cognitive demands.
Sub-symptom aerobic training: Safely re-introducing exercise to promote blood flow.
Visual-vestibular coordination: Exercises to reduce screen fatigue and dizziness.
Cervical spine therapy: Addressing neck tension and whiplash-related headaches.
Our concussion rehabilitation programs follow current concussion management guidelines, including standardized graded return to activity protocols. All exercise progression is based on objective symptom monitoring rather than a fixed calendar, and any red flag symptoms are referred to a physician immediately.
Brief rest of 24 to 48 hours is generally recommended, but progressive sub symptom activity after that point supports recovery better than prolonged darkness and inactivity.
Yes, whiplash and neck muscle tension can mimic concussion symptoms like headaches and dizziness, which is why we assess the neck alongside the brain injury itself.
We follow standardized protocols, checking symptom responses after each stage of physical and mental tasks before progressing to the next level.
Most concussions resolve within two to four weeks, though some patients experience persistent symptoms that require a longer, more structured rehabilitation program.
Return to sport follows a graduated, symptom guided protocol, typically taking a minimum of one to two weeks once you are fully symptom free at rest, though this varies by individual and sport.
Yes, sub symptom threshold aerobic exercise, meaning activity that does not trigger your symptoms, is now considered an important part of concussion recovery rather than something to avoid.
Yes, screen use can trigger visual and cognitive symptoms in the early stages of concussion recovery. We help guide a gradual return to screen tolerance as part of your program.
Persistent symptoms beyond the typical recovery window benefit from a more detailed, targeted assessment to identify specific contributing factors like vestibular dysfunction or neck involvement.
We recommend being assessed by a physician after any head injury to confirm the diagnosis and rule out more serious injury before starting rehabilitation.
It is typically billed under your standard physiotherapy benefit, and ICBC or WorkSafeBC coverage may apply if the concussion resulted from a car accident or workplace injury.
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