Concussion can be one of those injuries that feels confusing from the outset. You might have headaches, dizziness, brain fog, neck pain, fatigue, visual symptoms, difficulty concentrating, or just feel “off” – even if scans are normal or when you were never knocked unconscious.
That’s because concussion is not simply about structural damage. It is a functional disturbance of the brain and related systems, and current research tells us that recovery is often best supported through targeted, evidence-based rehabilitation rather than just rest alone.
At PhysioHealth, our concussion physiotherapy approach is based on the most up-to-date evidence and research, with a strong focus on identifying which systems are contributing to your symptoms and treating them systematically.
When people think about concussions, they often think about a major sporting collision. But a concussion can happen in many different situations.
This may include:
Importantly, you do not need to lose consciousness to have a concussion. In fact, many people with concussion were never “knocked out” at all. They may simply feel dazed, foggy, dizzy, nauseous, slow, unsteady, or unlike themselves after the incident.
So if you have had a knock, impact, fall, accident, or collision and things have not felt right since, concussion should absolutely be considered.
One of the reasons concussion can be so frustrating is that symptoms are not always straightforward. Two people can experience very different symptoms after a similar injury.
Some people mainly notice headaches and neck pain. Others feel dizzy, off-balance, motion-sensitive, or struggle with screens and reading. Some experience fatigue, reduced exercise tolerance, poor concentration, irritability, or disrupted sleep. Others continue to push through and only realise later that something still is not right.
This is why good concussion care should never be a one-size-fits-all approach.
At PhysioHealth, concussion physiotherapy is valuable because we do not just look at the injury in a general sense- we look at the systems involved.
Current research supports the importance of assessing concussion through different clinical domains. Depending on the person, symptoms may be driven by issues involving the:
This is where concussion physiotherapy can make a real difference. We assess what is contributing to your symptoms, then build treatment around those findings in a structured and systematic way.
Our concussion assessments are thorough and individualised. We take the time to understand how the injury happened, what symptoms you are experiencing, what aggravates them, and which systems may be involved. Your initial assessment is longer so we can comprehensively understand and assess your individual situation.
From there, your rehabilitation may include:
This approach is important because concussion is not always improved by prolonged rest. In fact, the most current evidence supports targeted, guided rehab and a gradual return to activity, rather than simply shutting everything down for extended periods.
In other words, recovery is not about doing nothing. It is about doing the right things at the right time.
For some people, symptoms settle relatively quickly. For others, recovery is not so straightforward.
Persistent concussion symptoms can include ongoing headache, dizziness, neck pain, visual discomfort, fatigue, cognitive fog, exercise intolerance, or difficulty tolerating work, school, sport, or busy environments. This can be incredibly frustrating, especially when others expect you to be “better by now.”
The good news is that persistent symptoms often still respond well to targeted physiotherapy; especially when the contributing systems are assessed properly.
This is one of the biggest reasons our systematic approach matters. We are not just waiting for symptoms to disappear. We are looking for the factors that may still be driving them and working through those in a structured, evidence-based way.
If you have had a head knock, sporting collision, fall, workplace accident, or motor vehicle accident and have since experienced symptoms like headache, dizziness, brain fog, balance changes, visual issues, nausea, fatigue, or neck pain, it is worth having it assessed.
This is particularly important if symptoms are lingering, interfering with work or sport, or you feel like you have not returned to normal.
At PhysioHealth, our concussion physiotherapy service is built around current research, evidence-based care, and systematic assessment of the systems involved. We know that concussion can affect far more than just the head, and we know that good rehab is about more than simply being told to rest.
Whether your concussion came from a motor vehicle accident, sport, martial arts, soccer, netball, football, a fall, a workplace accident, or any other head trauma, it deserves proper assessment and the right support.
And remember! Loss of consciousness does not need to occur for a concussion to be present.
If things have not felt right since a knock or accident, concussion physiotherapy may help provide the clarity, direction, and treatment needed to support a better recovery.
