Dizziness and symptoms after a concussion

After a concussion, it’s common to have dizziness, headaches, blurred vision, sensitivity to busy environments and trouble with balance. Most people recover within days to weeks, but some have symptoms that last longer. Current international guidance (Concussion in Sport Group, Amsterdam 2022) recommends a short period of relative rest followed by a gradual, guided return to activity, and supports vestibular and neck (cervical) rehabilitation for persisting dizziness, neck pain and headaches. At McKelvie Physiotherapy in Pickering, we assess the inner ear, eyes, neck and balance to find what’s driving your symptoms, and work alongside your family doctor.

What are post-concussion symptoms?

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury caused by a blow to the head, or a jolt to the body that makes the head move rapidly. It can happen in a fall, a sports collision, a motor vehicle collision or an everyday accident — and you don’t have to lose consciousness to have one.

Common symptoms include dizziness, headaches, visual problems and balance difficulties, along with fatigue, poor concentration, and sensitivity to light and noise. Most people recover within days to weeks. When symptoms last longer, they are often called persisting post-concussion symptoms.

What causes dizziness after a concussion?

Dizziness after a concussion often has more than one cause, which is why a careful assessment matters:

• Inner-ear involvement — a head injury can dislodge the tiny crystals in the inner ear, causing BPPV, or injure the inner ear more directly (known as labyrinthine concussion).
• Brain processing changes — the concussion can disrupt how the brain combines balance and visual information, leading to unsteadiness, motion sensitivity and difficulty keeping vision steady when the head moves.
• Neck injury — the same force that causes a concussion can strain the neck, which can contribute to dizziness and headaches.

What are the symptoms after a concussion?

• Dizziness, light-headedness or vertigo
• Headaches, including headaches that start in the neck
• Blurred vision, difficulty focusing, or trouble reading and using screens
• Imbalance or unsteadiness, especially in the dark or on uneven ground
• Discomfort in busy places such as shops, traffic or crowds
• Neck pain or stiffness
• Fatigue, poor concentration and sensitivity to light or noise

How are post-concussion symptoms treated?

Anyone with a suspected concussion should first be assessed by a physician, who confirms the diagnosis, rules out more serious injury and guides your return to school, work and sport. We work alongside your family doctor throughout.

The international consensus from the Concussion in Sport Group (Amsterdam, 2022) — developed for sport but widely applied to everyday concussion care — recommends a short period of relative rest, followed by a gradual return to daily activities and light physical activity, rather than prolonged rest. It also supports vestibular rehabilitation and cervical spine (neck) physiotherapy for people with persisting dizziness, neck pain or headaches (Patricios et al., 2023).

In a randomised trial of young people with persisting dizziness, neck pain or headaches after a sport-related concussion, those who received combined vestibular and neck physiotherapy were more likely to be medically cleared to return to sport within eight weeks than those who received usual care alone (Schneider et al., 2014).

As physiotherapists, our role is to find the treatable contributors to your symptoms and guide your rehabilitation: repositioning manoeuvres if BPPV is present, gaze-stability and balance exercises, neck treatment, and a graded plan to rebuild your activity tolerance.

1. 01

   Assess

   A detailed vestibular, visual, balance and neck assessment with infrared goggles, including testing for BPPV.

2. 02

   Treat the drivers

   Targeted vestibular, gaze-stability and neck rehabilitation — plus repositioning manoeuvres if BPPV is found.

3. 03

   Graded return

   A step-by-step plan to rebuild your tolerance for exercise, screens, work, school and sport, coordinated with your family doctor.

Why choose McKelvie Physiotherapy for post-concussion symptoms?

• Concussion rehabilitation and vestibular expertise — our team is led by an Advanced Vestibular Physical Therapist (AVPT).
• Advanced diagnostic technology — we use infrared video goggles (video-oculography) to record eye movements the naked eye can’t see, so your diagnosis is based on evidence, not guesswork.
• The whole picture — we assess the inner ear, eyes, balance and neck, including checks for BPPV.
• Neck care included — our physiotherapy team offers manual therapy alongside vestibular rehabilitation.
• Coordinated care — we work with your family doctor, and closely with local ENT specialists when inner-ear problems need further investigation.
• One-on-one care in private rooms — a calm, quiet setting when busy environments are a trigger.
• Care that comes to you — in person in Pickering, at home across the GTA, or virtually anywhere in Ontario.
• Direct billing to many major insurers — and no referral needed.