Effects of Early Vestibular Rehabilitation in Patients With Dizziness and Balance Disorders After Sport Concussion
Effects of Early Vestibular Rehabilitation in Patients With Dizziness and Balance Disorders After Sport Concussion
This study examines 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. Half of
 the participants will receive early vestibular rehabilitation added to standard of care,
 while the other half will receive standard of care only.
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:

 -  None