What is a Concussion?

A concussion is a type of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) caused by a sudden acceleration or deceleration of the brain inside the skull. This sudden movement can temporarily disrupt how the brain works, leading to symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and trouble concentrating. Concussions affect more than just the brain; they are thought to be multisystemic. As a result, a concussion can trigger metabolic changes and disrupt the normal functioning of various bodily systems. This can lead to changes in heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, sleep patterns, and even alter blood flow to the brain.

What makes concussions tricky is that they don’t show up on standard scans like MRIs or CT scans, because they affect how the brain functions, not its structure. This is why diagnosing a concussion relies heavily on recognizing symptoms and understanding what happened during the injury.

Most concussions improve within one to two weeks, especially if managed properly. However, each person responds differently. Factors like age, gender, and previous injuries can all influence recovery. That’s why early assessment and a careful, step-by-step recovery plan are so important.

Causes & mechanism of injury

Concussions occur due to direct impact to the head or an indirect force to the body that causes rapid head movement. Common causes include:

• Sports injuries (e.g., falls, collisions in football, rugby, or cycling)
• Motor vehicle accidents (whiplash-like motion)
• Slips, falls, or workplace injuries
• Physical altercations

During a concussion, the brain moves inside the skull, causing shearing and stretching of nerve fibers. This leads to an “energy crisis” where the brain struggles to function properly while trying to recover.

Signs & symptoms of a concussion

Symptoms can appear immediately or be delayed by hours or days. Early recognition and proper management are key to avoiding long-term complications.

Signs & Symptoms (including, but not limited to):

• Headaches

• Dizziness

• Nausea

• Fatigue

• Sensitivity to noise

• Sensitivity to light

• Problems with concentrating

• Problems with sleeping

• Mood: anxious, sad, angry, moody etc… 

A concussion doesn’t just affect your head. It can impact multiple systems in your body. This is why symptoms often fall into three key areas:

• Cognitive Symptoms: Trouble focusing, memory problems, brain fog, and slower thinking.

• Physical Symptoms: Headaches, dizziness, neck pain, balance issues, and fatigue.

• Mood Changes: Feeling more anxious, irritable, moody or down than usual.

Because concussions affect both body and mind, recovery requires a combination of physical rehabilitation, cognitive support, and strategies to manage mood and stress. Addressing all these areas together helps restore full function and improves long-term recovery.

For more information, you can download the sport concussion assessment tool: SCAT 6

Why are concussions serious?

While most concussions (80%-90%) typically resolve within 7 to 10 days with no to minimum intervention, they can have significant consequences if not managed properly. Untreated or repeated concussions can lead to:

• Persistent post-concussion symptoms (PCS): Headaches, dizziness, and cognitive issues lasting for weeks or months.
• Increased risk for future concussions: The brain is more vulnerable while still healing.
• Second-impact syndrome: A rare but life-threatening condition if another concussion occurs before full recovery.

If symptoms last longer than 3 weeks, a tailored  treatment approach  is essential.

Whiplash vs. Concussion: what’s the difference?

Many people confuse whiplash with a concussion because they often occur together, especially after car accidents. However, a concussion affects the brain, while whiplash involves the neck and surrounding soft tissues.

The two conditions share symptoms though (e.g., headaches, dizziness, fatigue), which is why a comprehensive assessment is crucial for proper treatment.

A concussion typically requires much greater force than a whiplash injury. Research shows that concussions occur at significantly higher forces, while whiplash can happen at relatively low levels of force. This means that while a whiplash injury on its own is unlikely to cause a concussion, any impact strong enough to cause a concussion will almost certainly place significant strain on the neck, increasing the likelihood of both injuries occurring together.

How to manage a concussion: immediate & rehab strategies

Recovery starts with immediate removal from play, followed by 24-48 hours of rest with no training or contact. Once symptoms begin to settle, you can gradually resume daily activities and light exercise like walking or easy cycling.

The next steps involve progressively reintroducing school and/or work (with adjustments if needed) and sport-specific movements, starting without head movements and gradually adding more complexity & intensity. Throughout this process, symptoms should be carefully monitored. If they return, the athlete must step back a level.

Before returning to full contact or competition, an athlete must be symptom-free for at least 14 days and be cleared by a healthcare professional, with full return to sport only allowed after at least 21 to 28 days post-injury. A physiotherapist can guide you through a graded return-to-sport protocol to ensure safe recovery.

At Movement-Based Therapy, we take a holistic and personalized approach to concussion care. Whether your symptoms involve dizziness, headaches, neck pain, or trouble focusing, we tailor treatment to your needs. This may include vestibular therapy to improve balance, graded exercise therapy to rebuild physical tolerance and/or manual therapy to relieve neck tension and headaches. We also use breathwork and nervous system techniques to support stress recovery. If needed, we collaborate with trusted professionals from our extensive network to make sure you receive complete care.

If you’re recovering from a concussion and want expert guidance back to sport, work, and daily life, we’re here to help. You can contact us or book your first appointment via this link!

Resources:

• Barela, M., Wong, A., & Chamberlain, R. (2023). Concussion and psychological effects: A review of recent literature. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 22(1), 24–28. https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0000000000001031

• Giza, C., Greco, T., & Prins, M. L. (2018). Concussion: Pathophysiology and clinical translation. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, 158, 51–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-63954-7.00006-9

• Leddy, J., Baker, J. G., Haider, M. N., Hinds, A., & Willer, B. (2017). A physiological approach to prolonged recovery from sport-related concussion. Journal of Athletic Training, 52(3), 299–308. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-51.11.08

• Leddy, J. J., Kozlowski, K., Fung, M., Pendergast, D. R., & Willer, B. (2007). Regulatory and autoregulatory physiological dysfunction as a primary characteristic of post concussion syndrome: Implications for treatment. NeuroRehabilitation, 22(3), 199–205.

• Medicine, B. P. G. L. and B. A. of S. and E. (2023). Sport concussion assessment tool 6(Scat6). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57(11), 622–631. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-107036

• Patricios, J. S., Schneider, K. J., Dvorak, J., Ahmed, O. H., Blauwet, C., Cantu, R. C., Davis, G. A., Echemendia, R. J., Makdissi, M., McNamee, M., Broglio, S., Emery, C. A., Feddermann-Demont, N., Fuller, G. W., Giza, C. C., Guskiewicz, K. M., Hainline, B., Iverson, G. L., Kutcher, J. S., … Meeuwisse, W. (2023). Consensus statement on concussion in sport: The 6th international conference on concussion in sport–amsterdam, october 2022. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57(11), 695–711. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-106898

• Rickards, T. A., Cranston, C. C., & McWhorter, J. (2022). Persistent post-concussive symptoms: A model of predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating factors. Applied Neuropsychology. Adult, 29(2), 284–294. https://doi.org/10.1080/23279095.2020.1748032

• Shapcott, E. (2024, December 2). Can you get a concussion from whiplash? Complete Concussions. https://completeconcussions.com/concussion/can-you-get-a-concussion-from-whiplash/