Effects of Early Vestibular Rehabilitation in Patients With Dizziness and Balance Disorders After Sport Concussion

As awareness of concussion and the numbers of reported concussions increase every year in the
last few years, so does the need for more effective treatment strategies. Concussions can
lead to a variety of symptoms that may last from days to weeks after injury.[1] Dizziness and
vestibular impairments are prevalent in up to 81% of patients after concussion.[2,3]
Additionally, dizziness and vestibular impairments are predictive of prolonged recovery times
after concussion.[4] Although there are few studies suggesting that vestibular rehabilitation
after concussion is promising,[5,6] there continues to be a void in well-controlled studies
verifying that vestibular rehabilitation can be used to treat patients with dizziness and
balance disorders after concussion. Due to the lack of controlled studies and current
practice patterns, patients with concussions are not seen for physical therapy until weeks or
months after their injury. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of early
vestibular rehabilitation on reducing physical post-concussion symptoms (e.g. dizziness,
balance problems), and improving the timeline to achieve medical clearance to return to
activities such as sports and work activities, when compared to STANDARD care. The findings
of this study are expected to provide medical and sports related professionals with
appropriate concussion treatment strategies and improve outcomes of patients suffering from
concussion.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Dizziness or balance problems within 10 days of concussion

Exclusion Criteria: