Concussion Physiotherapy in Surrey: What Really Helps Young Athletes Recover?
Your daughter takes a hit in a soccer game. She says she’s fine, but by dinner she has a headache and the kitchen lights feel too bright. A generation ago, the advice would have been simple: lie in a dark room and wait it out.
So why do doctors and physiotherapists now tell kids to get up and go for a gentle walk within a day or two? And how do you know when it’s safe to go back to class, back to practice or behind the wheel?
If you’re a parent or a young athlete looking into concussion physiotherapy in Surrey, here’s what modern concussion care looks like, step by step.
What Is a Concussion?
A concussion is a brain injury caused by a hit to the head or a hard jolt to the body that makes the head move quickly. It changes how the brain works for a while, even though it usually doesn’t show up on a scan.
Common signs include:
- headache or a feeling of pressure in the head
- dizziness or balance problems
- feeling foggy, slowed down or unable to focus
- sensitivity to light or noise
- tiredness, trouble sleeping or feeling more emotional than usual
You don’t need to be knocked out to have a concussion. Most concussions happen without any loss of consciousness.
Why rest in a dark room is out of date
Complete rest used to be the standard advice. Research now suggests that too much rest may actually slow recovery. The latest international consensus on sport concussion recommends only a day or two of relative rest, followed by a gradual return to light activity.
Relative rest means taking it easy, not hiding away. Light walking, family meals and short chats with friends are fine. Screen time is best kept low for those first 24 to 48 hours.
How Long Does Concussion Recovery Take?
The outlook is good. Most young athletes feel back to normal within about a month, and many recover sooner. Teens sometimes take a little longer than adults, and that’s normal.
When symptoms last longer than four weeks, doctors call them persisting symptoms. That doesn’t mean something is permanently wrong. It usually means a few specific problems, like dizziness, neck pain or trouble with exercise, need targeted treatment. This is where concussion physiotherapy can make a real difference.
What Doctors and Physiotherapists Look For
Concussion care is a team effort. Here’s the usual order of what happens:
- A doctor checks for more serious injuries, like bleeding in the brain or a neck injury, and confirms the diagnosis.
- Your symptoms are tracked with a simple checklist, so everyone can see whether they’re improving.
- Balance is tested, often by standing in different positions with your eyes open and closed.
- Eye movements and the balance system in the inner ear are checked, since problems here can cause dizziness, headaches and trouble reading.
- Your neck is assessed, because a hit hard enough to cause a concussion can also strain the neck.
- Your tolerance for exercise is tested, sometimes by walking on a treadmill or riding a bike while your heart rate and symptoms are watched.
Together, these checks show which parts of the system need help and how fast you can safely progress.
How Concussion Physiotherapy Helps
At White Rock 16 Ave Physiotherapy & Wellness Clinic, concussion physiotherapy focuses on the specific problems that are holding you back. Care often includes three main parts.
Guided exercise
Light aerobic exercise, like walking or riding a stationary bike, is one of the best-supported treatments after a concussion. The key is finding the right level. Your physiotherapist sets your heart rate just below the point where symptoms get noticeably worse, then builds it up as you improve. A mild, short-lived increase in symptoms is okay. A big spike means it’s time to ease back.
Balance and vestibular therapy
Your vestibular system, deep inside your inner ear, works with your eyes to keep you balanced and your vision steady when you move. After a concussion, this system can get out of sync, causing dizziness, unsteadiness or headaches when you turn your head or read. Vestibular therapy uses specific head, eye and balance exercises to help your brain get these systems working together again.
Neck treatment
A sore, stiff neck can cause headaches and dizziness that look a lot like concussion symptoms. Hands-on treatment and neck exercises can ease these and help you feel more like yourself.
Returning to School After a Concussion
School comes first. Getting back to the classroom helps students stay connected with friends and routines, and it needs to be complete before full-contact sport.
Canada’s concussion guideline for sport lays out four stages:
| Stage | What it looks like | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Daily activities and relative rest | Meals, light walking and time with family for the first 24 to 48 hours, with little screen time | Gently bring back normal routines |
| 2. School-type activities | Reading, homework and other light thinking tasks, with breaks | Build up how long you can focus |
| 3. Part-time or full days with supports | Shorter days, rest breaks or a lighter workload, cut back as you improve | Increase school activity |
| 4. Full-time school | Full days with no concussion supports | Return to normal school life |
A slight, short-lived bump in symptoms is okay. If symptoms get noticeably worse, take a break and adjust the activity. Let teachers know what’s going on so they can help with supports like extra time or a quiet place to work.
Returning to Sport After a Concussion
Return to sport follows six steps. Each step lasts at least 24 hours before moving on to the next one.
| Step | What it looks like | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Daily activities and relative rest | Normal home activities for the first 24 to 48 hours | Ease back into routines |
| 2. Light, then moderate, aerobic exercise | Walking or a stationary bike, building from easy to brisk | Raise your heart rate |
| 3. Individual sport drills | Running, changing direction and solo drills, with no risk of a head hit | Add sport movements safely |
| 4. Non-contact team training | Harder drills and practices with no body contact | Get back to full intensity |
| 5. Full-contact practice | Contact practice and gym class, but no games | Rebuild confidence and let coaches assess skills |
| 6. Return to sport | Games and full competition | Back to playing |
The medical clearance checkpoint
Before moving from step 3 to step 4, an athlete must be back at school full time and have written medical clearance, usually from a doctor. That letter goes to the coach. No one should skip this step, no matter how good they feel.
If symptoms get noticeably worse at any step, stop for the day and try the same step again tomorrow. A mild, brief increase in symptoms is okay during steps 1 to 3.
What About Driving and Part-Time Jobs?
Driving
There’s no single rule for driving after a concussion, but caution is key. Avoid driving for at least the first 24 to 48 hours. After that, wait until your reaction time, vision and concentration feel back to normal, and check with your doctor before getting behind the wheel. This matters even more for new teen drivers, who are still building their skills.
Part-time jobs
Many teens work after school. Returning to work follows the same idea as school: start with shorter shifts or lighter tasks, then build up as symptoms allow. Let your manager know about the concussion so they can adjust your duties for a while.
Red Flags: Get Help Right Away
Call 911 or go to the emergency department if someone has any of these after a head injury:
- a headache that’s severe or keeps getting worse
- repeated vomiting
- a seizure
- weakness, numbness or tingling in the arms or legs
- increasing confusion, drowsiness or trouble waking up
- slurred speech or unusual behaviour
- neck pain or tenderness after the hit
- loss of consciousness
The Bottom Line on Concussion Physiotherapy in Surrey
Here’s what parents and young athletes need to know:
- A day or two of relative rest is enough. After that, light activity helps recovery.
- Most young athletes recover within about a month.
- School comes before full-contact sport, and medical clearance is required before contact training.
- Return to sport follows six steps, each lasting at least 24 hours.
- Physiotherapy can help with exercise tolerance, dizziness, balance and neck pain.
If your child is recovering from a concussion, you don’t have to guess at the next step. Our White Rock and South Surrey team can assess what’s holding them back, offer balance and vestibular therapy if they need it, and guide them safely back to the classroom and the field.
References
Parachute. (2024). Canadian guideline on concussion in sport (2nd ed.): Return-to-school and return-to-sport strategies. https://pedsconcussion.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Parachute-Return-to-Sport-and-School-Protocols-2024.pdf
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