Concussion physiotherapy in Edmonton

Concussion physiotherapy in Edmonton, based on current guidance: a brief 24 to 48 hours of relative rest, then a gradual return to activity and carefully progressed aerobic exercise. Red-flag symptoms such as worsening headache or repeated vomiting need an emergency department first.

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What is a concussion?

A concussion is a brain injury caused by a blow to the head, face or neck, or by a force transmitted to the head from elsewhere in the body. It produces symptoms without showing up on a standard CT or MRI, which is why it is diagnosed clinically. You do not have to lose consciousness — most people do not.

Concussion Assessment And Treatment At Vertex Physiotherapy

Red flags — go to an emergency department

These need emergency assessment rather than a physiotherapy appointment. Do not wait to see whether they settle:

  • A headache that keeps getting worse, or a stiff neck
  • Repeated vomiting, or a seizure
  • Increasing confusion, drowsiness, or being difficult to rouse
  • Weakness, numbness or tingling in the arms or legs, slurred speech or double vision
  • Unequal pupils, or clear fluid from the nose or ears
  • Anyone on blood thinners, or any loss of consciousness

Rest is not the treatment

Advice has changed substantially. Current consensus supports a brief period of relative rest — roughly the first 24 to 48 hours — followed by a gradual return to light activity below the level that markedly worsens symptoms.

Extended rest in a dark room is no longer recommended and is associated with slower recovery. Sub-symptom-threshold aerobic exercise, introduced early and progressed carefully, has become a core part of management.

Most people recover within weeks. A minority have symptoms that persist, and that group benefits from assessment rather than more waiting.

What physiotherapy addresses

Persistent symptoms after a concussion usually have identifiable drivers, and they are treated differently from one another:

  • Dizziness and balance problems — assessed and treated as a vestibular problem
  • Neck pain and headaches — frequently cervicogenic, and very common alongside a head injury
  • Exercise intolerance — assessed and used to set a safe activity level rather than guessing
  • Visual and eye-movement symptoms — screened, and referred on where appropriate
  • Return to sport or work — staged, with clear criteria for each step

Related

Questions people ask

Standard imaging does not show concussion — it is used to rule out bleeding or a fracture. Whether you need one is a medical decision based on how the injury happened and what symptoms you have, which is why red flag symptoms mean an emergency department rather than a clinic.

Through a staged return, with each step tolerated before the next, and not before you are back to normal school or work. Returning while still symptomatic carries real risk, so this is done on criteria rather than dates.

No. Persistent symptoms usually have drivers that can be assessed and treated — the neck, the vestibular system, exercise intolerance. Waiting longer is rarely what resolves them.

Yes, and the funding route differs — treatment would be under your Section B claim. See the concussion after a collision page for how that works.

A medical assessment soon after the injury is recommended to rule out anything more serious. After that, physiotherapy can start directly. If your symptoms are getting worse, or you have severe headache, repeated vomiting or confusion, go to emergency first.

One to two days of relative rest, then a gradual return to activity. Prolonged rest in a dark room is no longer recommended and tends to prolong recovery. The physiotherapist sets the pacing so you are not doing too much or too little.

Radha Durai Babu has training in vestibular and concussion management and takes most concussion cases. Ask for a concussion assessment when you call (825) 525-2852. If the injury was in a car collision, Section B funds it; say so when booking.

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Vertex Physiotherapy is at 6958 76 Ave NW #205, Edmonton, AB T6B 2R2. Call (825) 525-2852 or book online. If any red flag symptom is present, go to an emergency department instead.

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Written by Vertex Physiotherapy · Reviewed by Bipin Pokhrel, Provisional Physiotherapist · Last updated September 2026