Concussion symptoms like headache, dizziness, fatigue, and loss of balance often have more than one contributing source. They can be linked to changes in three key systems: the vestibular system, the autonomic nervous system, and the musculoskeletal system.
Understanding what each system does can help explain why certain symptoms linger, and how an assessment with a physiotherapist can help support your recovery and return to daily activity.
1. Physiotherapy can help with dizziness and balance after a concussion.
The vestibular system helps with your sense of balance and your awareness of where your body is in space. When it’s not working properly after a concussion, even ordinary situations can feel disoriented. Walking through a crowded mall, scrolling on your phone, or riding in a car may trigger dizziness or a sense of unsteadiness.
Your physiotherapist may use vestibular rehabilitation to help retrain your balance system. This often starts with education, so you can understand what is happening and why. From there, your physiotherapist may use strategies and gradual exercises that challenge your balance in a safe and controlled way.
With the right guidance, many people find that their vestibular system can recalibrate over time, helping them feel steadier and more confident during daily movement.
2. Physiotherapy can help rebuild your tolerance to activity
The autonomic nervous system regulates essential functions like heart rate and blood pressure. After a concussion, this system can become disrupted. That means even mild exertion, like climbing stairs or a short walk, may bring on headaches, brain fog, or feeling generally unwell.
For someone who was previously active, this can feel discouraging and isolating. Physiotherapy can help by guiding a gradual return to movement.
Rather than pushing through symptoms or avoiding movement entirely, the goal is to find a safe level of activity and build from there. This approach is sometimes called sub-symptom-threshold training. It is designed to help rebuild your tolerance for activity over time, at a pace that feels manageable for your body.
Returning to activity after a concussion looks different for everyone. A structured plan can help you move forward safely and with more confidence.
3. Physiotherapy can help address neck-related headaches and stiffness
This is an area that often surprises people. The musculoskeletal system—your bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments—can play a role in concussion symptoms, especially when it comes to the neck.
A long day at a desk or waking up with a stiff neck can sometimes make headaches or dizziness feel worse. That’s because joint and muscle changes in the cervical spine (the neck) can contribute to post-concussion symptoms.
A physiotherapist can assess your posture, strength, muscle tension, and joint mobility to better understand what may be contributing to your symptoms. Treatment may include targeted exercises, manual therapy techniques, and practical postural strategies.
These approaches can help reduce symptoms and support your return to daily function, particularly for those whose headaches are impacted by their necks.
Key takeaways
- Concussion symptoms can involve more than the brain. The vestibular, autonomic, and musculoskeletal systems may also be affected.
- Dizziness, balance issues, headaches, and exercise tolerance may each need a different approach.
- Physiotherapy can help identify which systems may be contributing to your symptoms.
- Vestibular rehabilitation, gradual activity training, and neck-focused treatment may all be part of a concussion recovery plan.
- A physiotherapist can help you return to daily activity at a pace that is safe and appropriate for you.
FAQs
Can a physiotherapist help with a concussion?
Physiotherapy is a recognized part of concussion management. Physiotherapists assess and treat the vestibular, autonomic nervous, and musculoskeletal systems—all of which can be affected by a concussion.
How soon after a concussion should I see a physiotherapist?
Within the first 24-48 hours after a suspected concussion, it is generally recommended to seek care from a doctor or nurse practitioner for an assessment and diagnosis. After that, early guidance and education from a concussion trained physiotherapist can help with symptom management and return to daily activities.
What does a physiotherapy concussion assessment involve?
Your physiotherapist will evaluate your balance, neck mobility, posture, strength, and how your symptoms respond to movement. This helps identify which systems are involved and guides your treatment plan.
Why am I dizzy after a concussion?
Post-concussion dizziness is often related to vestibular system disruption. The vestibular system helps with balance and spatial orientation, and when it’s temporarily impaired, dizziness and unsteadiness are common symptoms.
Can physiotherapy help with post-concussion headaches?
Headaches after a concussion can have multiple sources, including tension and dysfunction in the neck. Physiotherapy—including manual therapy, targeted exercises, and postural strategies—may help address musculoskeletal contributors to post-concussion headaches.
What is vestibular rehabilitation for concussion?
Vestibular rehabilitation is a specialized form of physiotherapy that uses education, movement strategies, and graded exercises to help retrain the balance system after a concussion.
How long does concussion recovery take with physiotherapy?
Recovery timelines vary depending on the individual and which systems are affected. Physiotherapy is designed to support your recovery at a pace that is safe and appropriate for you—there is no single answer that applies to everyone.
Find a clinic near you or book online to schedule an appointment with a clinician.
This blog originally appeared on Lifemark.ca.