Concussion Care
Physiotherapy
The symptoms often can’t be seen by others.
Someone can appear totally fine from the outside, and be quietly struggling with the symptoms from a concussion.
Headaches, light sensitivity, sensory overload, difficulties focusing are just a few of the symptoms that can have a huge impact on day to day activities and function.
Concussions happen as a result of impact to the head or a sudden acceleration-deceleration movement of the head, which can happen during sports, a car accident or a fall.
If you’ve been struggling with symptoms after a concussion, Physiotherapy will help you get back on your feet!
What is a concussion? |
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury, caused by any sort of traumatic impact to the brain.
As a result of the impact there can be damage to the brain tissues along with changes to the biochemistry of the brain. These changes create disturbances in brain function. Communication between cells is impacted and suddenly the brain has to work a lot harder to do simple day to day tasks.
Symptoms such as confusion, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, balance deficits, light and noise sensitivity etc. can occur from these changes in the brain.
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What is Concussion Physiotherapy?
Concussion physiotherapy is the branch of physiotherapy that helps to treat and manage post-concussion symptoms such as headache, dizziness, balance, fatigue etc. The overall goal of concussion physiotherapy is to allow you to return to your activities and feel more like yourself again.
What does concussion physiotherapy do?
A lot of concussions can resolve on their own in a short time frame but sometimes symptoms can persist! Concussion Physiotherapy can help you recover more quickly and effectively from concussion and post concussion syndrome.
Read more about concussion and physiotherapy in our blog all about concussions.
Will concussion physiotherapy help me?
If you’ve had a concussion - YES!
Concussion physiotherapy can help you if you’re experiencing post concussion symptoms such as headache, dizziness, trouble with balance, fatigue, or getting back to your usual day to day activities.
Still have questions about concussion physiotherapy? Contact us today to book in a FREE 15 minute consultation with one of our concussion Physiotherapists!
Meet our Physiotherapists who treat concussions
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What does concussion physiotherapy treatment look like and what does it do?
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When you go see a physiotherapist trained in concussion care, they will conduct a thorough assessment which involves discussion surrounding the history of your concussion and medical history, evaluation of your neck, vestibular system, visual motor system and balance. They will then create an individualised treatment plan for you, which will include management strategies and exercises to help your symptoms resolve. Concussion physiotherapy can involve many different treatment techniques. The ones used in your treatment plan will depend on what signs and symptoms you are presenting with. |
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These can include:
- Education on how to manage your symptoms including what to do and what not to do to promote a faster recovery.
- Postural education
- Neck strengthening and neck manual therapy
- Vestibular ocular exercises,
- Balance exercises
- Aerobic exercise
- Postural exercises
- Vestibular treatment - link to vestibular page
What are the benefits of concussion physiotherapy?
Concussion physiotherapy will allow you to gain a better control of your symptoms and learn self management strategies to help you feel normal again. Strengthening your neck and upper back helps to improve posture which will lead to decreased neck pain and headaches. Concussion physiotherapy will also improve balance and coordination.
Most importantly, concussion physiotherapy will help you get back to doing the things you love!
Frequently Asked Questions about Concussion Physiotherapy
Is physiotherapy good for concussion?
Yes! Physiotherapy can have an important role in concussion treatment, a role that is not often recognized. Physiotherapy can help manage post concussion symptoms such as headaches fatigue and any movement-related impairments. Look for a physiotherapist who has had training in concussion management.
How does physiotherapy treat post concussion syndrome?
A concussion is a mild brain injury. Some brain cells have been injured and the biochemistry of the brain is altered. As a result, the brain has to work a lot harder to do normal activities which is why fatigue is so common. Concussion treatment works by letting the brain slowly adapt to the visual inputs around you and reorganise neural pathways to work together more effectively allowing you to get back to doing what you used to do.
What is the best therapy for a concussion? What are the best exercises to do with a concussion?
The best treatment approach is an individualized approach! Different things will work for different people depending on their signs and symptoms. No concussion is the same. That's why it is important to get assessed by a physiotherapist to get an individualized treatment plan.
