Concussion Therapy

A concussion is an injury caused by a direct blow to the head or indirectly to the body, causing the head and neck to forcefully move back and forth, such as during a whiplash-type injury.

Although most concussions, about 85 to 90 percent, resolve in days to weeks, some individuals will go on to suffer from post-concussion syndrome. Post concussion syndrome can occur when patients suffer from concussion symptoms for more than three weeks after the injury.

A concussion can cause a cluster of symptoms such as:

• Headache.
• Dizziness.
• Fatigue.
• Sensitivity to light, sound and/or movement.
• Balance impairments.

Additionally, there may be cognitive impairments such as decreased attention and temporary loss of memory affecting the individual’s performance at school or work. For these individuals, a multidisciplinary approach to treatment will provide the best success for recovery. Patients suffering from a sports-related concussion are often treated by an entire team of people, which may include:

• Sports medicine physicians.
• Neurologists.
• Neuropsychologists.
• Physical therapists.
• Athletic trainers.
• Coaches and teachers.

Cooper physical therapists are specially trained to assess and develop a program that can address some concussion symptoms, such as headache, dizziness, motion sensitivity, balance impairments, and neck pain,  using vestibular rehabilitation, manual physical therapy and active exercise. The physical therapist will also provide guidance to those individuals looking to return to sports safely by following a stepwise return-to-play protocol.