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Physiotherapist assessing a patient with concussion in Burlington.

Concussion Management Physiotherapy in Burlington

One-on-one concussion physiotherapy for dizziness, headaches, neck pain, screen intolerance, exercise intolerance, and safe return to activity.

Concussion Management Physiotherapy in Burlington

A concussion can affect more than headaches. Symptoms may include dizziness, brain fog, neck pain, sleep disruption, light or noise sensitivity, visual discomfort, balance problems, fatigue, and difficulty tolerating work, school, sport, screens, or exercise.​

At Cogent Rehab, concussion management physiotherapy focuses on identifying the main drivers of your symptoms and building a structured plan to support safe recovery and return to activity.

At Cogent Rehab, we provide one-on-one physiotherapy for complex recovery — helping people move better, rebuild confidence, and return to meaningful daily life, work, sport, and community activity.

Who This Service Is For

Concussion physiotherapy may be helpful for:

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  • Recent concussion or suspected concussion

  • Persistent concussion symptoms lasting weeks or months

  • Dizziness, balance problems, nausea, or visual motion sensitivity

  • Headaches, neck pain, or whiplash-related symptoms

  • Screen intolerance, fatigue, brain fog, or concentration difficulty

  • Exercise intolerance or symptoms that worsen with activity

  • Sports-related concussion and return-to-play planning

  • MVA, workplace, fall-related, or activity-related concussion

  • Return-to-work, return-to-school, or return-to-activity support

Also Experiencing Vertigo or Dizziness?

Some concussion symptoms involve the vestibular system, including dizziness, balance problems, nausea with movement, visual motion sensitivity, and difficulty with head or eye movement. Cogent Rehab also provides vestibular rehabilitation for dizziness, vertigo, BPPV, and balance-related symptoms.

Treatment May Include

Your concussion rehabilitation plan may include:

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  • Education about symptoms, recovery expectations, pacing, and return-to-activity planning

  • Symptom-guided activity progression for work, school, sport, exercise, and daily routines

  • Cervical spine rehabilitation for neck pain, stiffness, headache, or whiplash-related symptoms

  • Vestibular rehabilitation for dizziness, gaze instability, motion sensitivity, nausea, or balance problems

  • Balance training and visual-motion desensitization when appropriate

  • Graded aerobic exercise to improve exercise tolerance and reduce symptom sensitivity

  • Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Testing when appropriate to assess exertional tolerance and guide exercise progression

  • ​Strategies for attention, pacing, cognitive load management, and gradual return to cognitive tasks

  • Biofeedback training when breathing control, stress regulation, headache, fatigue, or muscle tension may be contributing

  • Return-to-work, return-to-school, or return-to-sport planning with measurable checkpoints

Safe Return to Activity

Concussion recovery is not only about waiting for symptoms to settle. Many people need a structured plan to gradually return to work, school, sport, exercise, screen use, driving, and daily routines without repeatedly triggering symptoms.

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At Cogent Rehab, your return-to-activity plan may include pacing strategies, graded aerobic exercise, neck rehabilitation, vestibular rehabilitation, balance training, screen-tolerance guidance, and clear progression steps based on your symptoms and goals.

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Goal: Return to meaningful activity safely, without rushing recovery or unnecessarily avoiding movement.

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What Your Concussion Assessment Includes

Your first visit includes a private one-on-one assessment with a Cogent physiotherapist. Depending on your symptoms, this may include:

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  • Review of symptoms, injury history, medical history, work/school demands, sport demands, sleep, screen tolerance, driving, and daily activity

  • Cervical spine screening for neck mobility, headache contributors, whiplash-related symptoms, and sensorimotor control

  • Vestibular and balance screening, including gaze stability, head movement tolerance, VOR, visual motion sensitivity, and dynamic balance

  • Exercise tolerance review and pacing guidance

  • Baseline outcome measures to track symptoms, function, and progress over time

  • Clear goals and a staged plan for returning to activity safely

Buffalo Concussion Testing

​When appropriate, the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test may be used to assess exercise tolerance and guide safe aerobic exercise progression after concussion. This can help identify an appropriate starting intensity and support structured return-to-activity planning.

Book Your Concussion Assessment in Burlington Today

​If concussion symptoms are affecting work, school, sport, screens, exercise, driving, sleep, balance, or daily activity, a physiotherapy assessment can help identify the next step.

FAQs About Concussion Management

How soon should I start physiotherapy after a concussion?
This depends on your symptoms and medical guidance. Many people benefit from early education, symptom-guided activity planning, and structured rehabilitation within the first 1–2 weeks.

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What if exercise makes my symptoms worse?
Exercise should be dosed carefully. Mild, short-lived symptom increases may occur, but your program should be adjusted based on your response, symptom irritability, and recovery stage.

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Do you treat dizziness after concussion?
Yes. If dizziness is present, your assessment may include vestibular and balance screening, and treatment may include vestibular rehabilitation strategies.

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Can neck problems contribute to concussion symptoms?
Yes. Neck pain, stiffness, whiplash-related symptoms, and cervical sensorimotor changes can contribute to headaches, dizziness, visual discomfort, and movement sensitivity.

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How long does concussion rehabilitation take?
Recovery timelines vary. Some people improve steadily over weeks, while persistent symptoms may require a longer staged approach with reassessment and progression over time.

For Referring Partners & Community Providers

Cogent Rehab provides one-on-one concussion physiotherapy in Burlington, including symptom and functional assessment, cervical screening, vestibular and balance screening, graded aerobic progression, and structured return-to-work, school, sport, or activity planning with measurable checkpoints.

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To refer, please use our Request Appointment form or call the clinic to coordinate an assessment.

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