Symptoms
- Headache and pressure in the head
- Dizziness and balance problems
- Nausea
- Confusion and brain fog
- Sensitivity to light and noise
- Sleep disturbances
Common causes
- Direct blow to the head
- Whiplash-type injury
- Falls
- Collision with another player
- Impact from sports equipment
How physiotherapy helps
Graduated return-to-sport protocol (6 stages), vestibular rehabilitation if dizziness persists, cervical spine assessment and treatment, exertion testing, and symptom monitoring throughout recovery.
Exercises your physiotherapist may give you
- Light aerobic exercise (symptom-limited)
- Sport-specific exercises (no contact)
- Balance and coordination drills
- Cervical spine exercises
- Non-contact training drills
- Full contact practice (final stage, with medical clearance)
Please note: start these exercises only after an assessment, and stop if pain increases. Your physiotherapist will choose the right exercises, number of repetitions and progression for you.
Guide written by the physiotherapists of CAPT – Centre for Advanced Physiotherapy, MVM Educational Trust. For more reading, search MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine).