Concussion or Whiplash Changing the Way You Feel and Move?

A concussion or whiplash injury can affect much more than your head or neck. After an injury, you may experience headaches, dizziness, neck pain, nausea, balance problems, visual changes, fatigue, brain fog, sensitivity to light or sound, or difficulty returning to exercise and everyday activities.

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) that can occur after a direct blow to the head or from a forceful movement of the body that causes the brain to move rapidly within the skull. Whiplash typically occurs when the head and neck are rapidly forced forward and backward, such as during a motor vehicle accident. These injuries can occur independently or at the same time.

While many people recover relatively quickly, some experience symptoms that persist and interfere with work, school, exercise, sports, sleep, and daily life. Appropriate evaluation and individualized rehabilitation can be an important part of recovery.

What Symptoms Can Occur After a Concussion or Whiplash Injury?

Symptoms vary from person to person and may include:

• Headaches or pressure in the head

• Neck pain and stiffness

• Dizziness or vertigo

• Nausea

• Balance problems or feeling unsteady

• Blurred vision or difficulty focusing

• Sensitivity to light or sound

• Fatigue

• Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly

• Brain fog

• Motion sensitivity

• Difficulty tolerating exercise

• Difficulty returning to work, school, or sports

• Jaw or facial pain

• Sleep disturbances

You don’t have to experience all of these symptoms to benefit from an evaluation.

How Can Abide Physical Therapy Help?

At Abide Physical Therapy, we understand that concussion and whiplash recovery is not one-size-fits-all.

Your symptoms may be coming from several systems working together—including your neck, vestibular system, visual system, balance system, nervous system, and musculoskeletal system. That’s why we take a comprehensive approach rather than focusing on only one symptom.

Your individualized evaluation may assess:

• Cervical spine mobility and muscle function

• Balance and coordination

• Vestibular function

• Eye movement and visual stability

• Postural control

• Movement patterns

• Exercise tolerance

• Functional limitations

Based on your findings, we develop a personalized rehabilitation program designed around your specific symptoms, goals, and stage of recovery.

Advanced Manual Therapy

Whiplash can create significant restrictions and muscle tension throughout the neck, upper back, shoulders, and surrounding tissues.

As manual therapy specialists, Abide clinicians may use advanced orthopedic manual therapy to improve joint mobility, decrease muscle tension, restore normal movement, and address musculoskeletal contributors to headaches and neck pain.

Treatment may include joint mobilization, soft tissue techniques, dry needling, cupping, and other appropriate hands-on techniques.

Vestibular & Balance Rehabilitation

If dizziness, vertigo, motion sensitivity, or balance problems are contributing to your symptoms, vestibular rehabilitation may be incorporated into your treatment plan.

Exercises may target gaze stabilization, balance, coordination, visual motion tolerance, and the body’s ability to appropriately respond to movement.

Gradual Return to Activity

Complete inactivity is generally not the goal of concussion recovery. Once medically appropriate, current concussion rehabilitation approaches emphasize a gradual, individualized return to physical and cognitive activity based on symptoms and tolerance.

At Abide, we can help you progress appropriately toward the activities that matter to you—whether that’s returning to work, school, exercise, running, weightlifting, or your sport.