A concussion can affect much more than memory or concentration. It can leave you struggling with headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, neck pain, fatigue, difficulty exercising, or symptoms that flare up during ordinary daily activities.
If you are still dealing with these problems days or weeks after a concussion, you may be wondering why you haven't recovered yet—and what you should do differently.
Physical therapy for concussion recovery can help identify and address the physical and functional problems contributing to your symptoms. Rather than relying on rest alone or simply waiting for symptoms to disappear, a concussion-trained physical therapist can assess how your balance, vision, neck function, and ability to tolerate exercise may be affecting your recovery.
The important distinction is that concussion rehabilitation is not one-size-fits-all. The right treatment depends on your symptoms, examination findings, and response to activity.
Why Physical Therapy Can Help After a Concussion
A concussion creates an energy crisis in the brain. After the injury, the brain's normal processes for using and restoring energy can be disrupted. At the same time, the injury may affect several systems involved in movement, balance, vision, and physical activity.
This helps explain why two people with concussions can experience very different symptoms—and why the same treatment may not work for everyone.
Physical therapy can help assess and treat several common contributors to persistent post-concussion symptoms, including:
Vestibular dysfunction: Problems with balance, motion sensitivity, or the brain's processing of movement.
Visual dysfunction: Difficulty focusing, tracking objects, reading, or tolerating visually busy environments.
Neck-related symptoms: Headaches, neck pain, stiffness, or dizziness associated with a cervical injury.
Exercise intolerance: Symptoms that increase with walking, climbing stairs, workouts, or other physical activity.
Reduced tolerance for everyday activity: Difficulty managing work, school, screens, or normal daily routines without symptoms increasing.
These systems can interact. For example, a neck injury may contribute to headaches and dizziness, while impaired exercise tolerance may make it difficult to return to normal activity.
A thorough concussion assessment helps determine which factors need attention rather than assuming every symptom comes from the same source.
Research supports targeted rehabilitation for appropriate patients. A systematic review of physical therapy interventions for concussion examined evidence for approaches including exercise and multimodal rehabilitation. Treatment should still be individualized to the person's symptoms and clinical findings.
Key Areas of Physical Therapy for Concussion
1. Vestibular Physical Therapy After Concussion: Dizziness and Balance Problems
Dizziness is one of the most frustrating symptoms after a concussion. You may feel unsteady when walking, become dizzy when turning your head, feel worse in a grocery store, or experience symptoms when riding in a car.
These problems can occur when the vestibular system—which helps the brain interpret head movement and maintain balance—is not functioning normally.
Vestibular physical therapy after concussion may include:
Gaze-stabilization exercises to improve the ability to keep your vision steady while your head moves.
Balance exercises to improve stability during standing, walking, and changing positions.
Habituation exercises to gradually improve tolerance to movements or environments that provoke dizziness.
Movement retraining to improve coordination between the eyes, head, and body.
The specific exercises depend on the source of the dizziness. For example, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) requires a different approach from motion sensitivity or impaired gaze stabilization.
The goal is not to push through dizziness at any cost. Exercises need to be selected and progressed at an appropriate level so they challenge the system without repeatedly overwhelming it.
2. Vision Therapy and Eye Exercises for Post-Concussion Symptoms
After a concussion, some people experience blurred vision, difficulty reading, trouble focusing, eye strain, or headaches during screen use. Others feel dizzy when scrolling on a phone, watching moving objects, or navigating visually busy spaces.
These symptoms may involve the way the eyes move, focus, work together, and coordinate with head movement.
Depending on the findings of an assessment, rehabilitation may include:
Eye-tracking exercises.
Exercises addressing convergence, or the ability of the eyes to work together when looking at something close.
Visual-motion exercises to gradually improve tolerance to movement in the visual environment.
Coordination exercises involving eye and head movements.
Research has examined the relationship between eye movements and concussion symptoms, including difficulties that can interfere with reading and other daily activities. See this research on eye movements after concussion.
Not everyone with a concussion needs vision exercises. The appropriate approach depends on identifying the specific visual problem. Persistent or significant vision symptoms may also require assessment by an appropriately qualified eye-care professional.
3. Physical Therapy for Neck Pain and Headaches After Concussion
A concussion can occur alongside a neck injury because the forces that move the brain can also strain the cervical spine.
Neck-related problems may contribute to headaches, stiffness, reduced range of motion, and sometimes dizziness. These symptoms can overlap with symptoms caused by other concussion-related impairments, making it important to assess the neck rather than assume the symptoms are exclusively brain-related.
Depending on the examination findings, physical therapy for headaches after concussion may include:
Gentle exercises to restore neck mobility.
Targeted strengthening for the neck and upper back.
Postural and movement retraining.
Appropriate manual therapy.
Gradual return to activities that involve head and neck movement.
Research has examined the relationship between cervical injuries and prolonged concussion symptoms. One example is this study on neck injury and persistent post-concussion symptoms.
Treating a contributing neck problem may help reduce symptoms and improve function. However, not every post-concussion headache comes from the neck, so treatment should be guided by an appropriate assessment.
4. Exercise Intolerance After Concussion: How Rehabilitation Can Help
One of the most confusing parts of concussion recovery is feeling worse when you try to become more active.
You might tolerate resting at home but develop a headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, or difficulty concentrating when you walk briskly, climb stairs, or attempt a workout.
This can happen when the body's response to physical exertion has changed after the injury. Heart rate regulation, blood pressure responses, and exercise tolerance may all be relevant, although other medical causes of these symptoms must also be considered.
Exercise intolerance after concussion does not automatically mean that exercise is harmful. For many people, appropriately prescribed aerobic exercise is an important part of rehabilitation.
A physical therapist may assess your response to exertion and help determine:
What level of activity you can currently tolerate.
Whether symptoms are related to exertion and how they change with activity.
How to progress exercise without repeatedly provoking a substantial symptom flare.
Whether additional medical assessment is needed before increasing activity.
A randomized controlled trial of aerobic exercise after concussion contributed to the research supporting individualized exercise as part of concussion care.
The key is the right dose. Too much activity too soon may aggravate symptoms, but avoiding physical activity indefinitely can also interfere with returning to normal function. Exercise should be adjusted to the individual rather than prescribed as a generic workout.
You Deserve to Know What to Work on Next
If your concussion symptoms are still affecting your life, you may already have tried resting, limiting activities, searching for exercises, or following advice from different sources.
The difficult part is knowing which strategies apply to you, where to begin, and how to progress without constantly wondering whether you're doing too much—or not enough.
You shouldn't have to piece together your recovery from disconnected tips while trying to manage headaches, dizziness, fatigue, or difficulty getting through a normal day.
The Concussion Solution is a structured online program that brings together guided exercises and recovery strategies addressing key areas involved in concussion recovery, including exercise tolerance, balance and dizziness, visual function, neck mobility, headaches, sleep, and pacing.
It gives you a more organized way to work through these areas at home instead of trying to figure out every next step on your own. It is an educational rehabilitation program, not a substitute for an individualized assessment or medical care when those are needed.
If you're still struggling and don't know what to work on next, explore a more structured approach to concussion recovery.
When Should You See a Physical Therapist After a Concussion?
Consider an evaluation by a physical therapist with concussion experience if you are experiencing ongoing symptoms such as:
Dizziness, vertigo, or balance problems.
Headaches or neck pain.
Difficulty reading, focusing, or tolerating screens.
Fatigue or symptoms that increase with physical activity.
Difficulty returning to exercise, school, work, or normal daily routines.
Symptoms that are not improving as expected.
You do not need to wait until symptoms become severe before seeking help. An assessment can help identify which problems may benefit from rehabilitation and whether another type of evaluation is appropriate.
A concussion-trained physical therapist can assess relevant physical impairments and develop a plan based on your presentation. Some people benefit from in-person care, while others may use an appropriate home program as part of their recovery.
When to Seek Urgent Medical Care
Concussion symptoms can overlap with signs of a more serious injury. Seek emergency medical care if symptoms include a worsening headache that does not go away, repeated vomiting, seizures, increasing confusion, slurred speech, weakness or numbness, unequal pupils, or difficulty waking up. See the CDC's concussion danger signs for more information.
Do not attempt to manage emergency warning signs with exercises or an online program.
What Does Concussion Rehabilitation Involve?
There is no single exercise routine that works for everyone after a concussion. Rehabilitation should be based on the problems identified during assessment and adjusted according to your response.
Depending on your needs, a plan may include:
Identifying the main contributors to your symptoms. This may involve evaluating balance, eye movements, neck function, exercise tolerance, and other relevant factors.
Starting with an appropriate level of activity. The initial exercises should match your current abilities and clinical findings.
Progressing gradually. As tolerance improves, exercises and everyday activities can be adjusted to help you move toward your goals.
Monitoring your response. Symptoms, function, and recovery between activities help guide decisions about progression.
Returning to everyday life. Rehabilitation should support a gradual return to work, school, exercise, recreation, and other meaningful activities.
Recovery is not always a straight line. A symptom flare does not necessarily mean you have caused further damage, but repeated or substantial worsening is a reason to reassess the plan rather than keep pushing through.
The goal is to build capacity and improve function—not simply to avoid every activity that might provoke a symptom.
In-Person Concussion Physical Therapy in Park City, Utah
If you live in Park City or the surrounding area and are struggling with persistent concussion symptoms, in-person physical therapy may help identify the impairments contributing to your difficulties.
At Happy Brain Physical Therapy, treatment is individualized to the person rather than based on a generic concussion exercise list. Depending on your needs, care may address dizziness, balance, neck pain, headaches, visual-motion sensitivity, and exercise tolerance.
Learn more about concussion treatment in Park City.
If you live elsewhere or prefer to work through a structured program at home, you can also explore The Concussion Solution below.
Frequently Asked Questions About Physical Therapy for Concussion Recovery
How does physical therapy help a concussion?
Physical therapy can help address specific problems that occur after a concussion, including dizziness, balance difficulties, neck pain, headaches, visual-motion sensitivity, and exercise intolerance. Treatment depends on the symptoms and impairments identified during an assessment.
What exercises are good for post-concussion symptoms?
There is no single exercise routine that is appropriate for everyone. Some people benefit from balance exercises, gaze stabilization, neck rehabilitation, or individually prescribed aerobic exercise. The right starting point depends on the person's symptoms and examination findings.
Can physical therapy help if concussion symptoms last for months?
Physical therapy may help when persistent symptoms are associated with treatable problems such as vestibular dysfunction, neck impairments, or reduced exercise tolerance. Persistent symptoms deserve an appropriate evaluation because more than one factor may be contributing.
Should I rest or exercise after a concussion?
Relative rest is generally recommended during the first 24–48 hours, followed by a gradual return to cognitive and physical activity as tolerated. Prolonged strict rest until all symptoms disappear is generally not recommended. People with significant symptoms or exercise intolerance may need guidance to determine a safe starting level and progression.
Can I do concussion rehabilitation at home?
Some rehabilitation exercises and strategies can be completed at home when they are appropriate for your symptoms and abilities. However, an online program cannot examine you, diagnose the cause of your symptoms, or replace medical evaluation when needed. New, severe, or worsening symptoms may require prompt clinical attention.
How do I know whether I need concussion physical therapy?
An evaluation may be useful if you have persistent dizziness, headaches, neck pain, balance problems, visual difficulties, exercise intolerance, or trouble returning to daily activities. A concussion-trained physical therapist can help determine whether physical therapy is appropriate and what areas may need attention.
Related Articles
Explore these resources for more information about specific concussion symptoms and recovery challenges:
You Don't Have to Keep Guessing About Your Recovery
When concussion symptoms interfere with your work, exercise, relationships, or everyday life, it can be exhausting to keep trying new strategies without knowing how they fit together.
You deserve more than a collection of exercises and conflicting advice. You deserve a clearer understanding of what you can work on, how to approach it, and when you may need additional support.
The Concussion Solution brings key areas of concussion rehabilitation together in one structured online program, with guided exercises and strategies you can work through at home.
You don't have to keep piecing together advice and wondering what to try next. Explore the program and decide whether it is the right fit for your recovery needs.
