Concussion Management FAQs

Answers to frequently asked questions about concussion care

If you’ve been diagnosed with a concussion, it’s natural to have questions about your condition and how we can help. Below, we’ve provided answers to some of the questions patients ask us most often as part of our concussion management services.

Department of Rehabilitation Services, Newton-Wellesley Ambulatory Care Center - Newton
159 Wells Avenue
Newton, MA 02459
Phone: 617-243-6172 
Fax: 617-243-6651

What Is a Concussion?

A concussion is a complex set of changes within the brain that occur due to trauma, such as a direct blow to the head or body that causes a forceful movement of the brain within the skull. You may or may not lose consciousness as a result of a concussion, and there are typically no changes within the brain that we can see on a conventional MRI scan or CT scan.

Concussion symptoms can vary and may include:

• Emotional issues, such as anger, anxiety, or sadness
• Mental issues, such as confusion, difficulty finding words to say, fogginess, or poor memory
• Physical issues, such as headache, decreased balance, dizziness, nausea, ringing in the ears, vision changes, and vomiting
• Sleep issues, such as difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and feeling especially tired

The symptoms of a concussion often go away on their own, but some people can have a prolonged healing process. Any of the following factors can increase your risk of a delayed recovery from a concussion:

• A history of three or more previous concussions
• Affective disorders, such as anxiety or depression
• Personal or family history of migraine headaches
• Prior history of cognitive dysfunction, including learning disabilities

What Are the Goals of Concussion Treatment?

Our goal for your concussion treatment is to help you gain a better understanding of how to manage your symptoms and, ultimately, allow you to return to all of your previous activities. In order to accomplish this, we will guide you through a progressive return-to-activity program that includes:

• Balance activities
• Cognitive (thinking) activities
• Physical activities

What Is the Treatment for Concussion?

We will work with you to create a personalized concussion management plan based on your unique needs. Because a concussion can affect many different body systems, your treatment may include any or all of the following:

• Cervical spine rehabilitation, which focuses on relieving neck pain or other symptoms that may appear if your injury involved your cervical (upper) spine
• Cognitive-linguistic rehabilitation, which can help with mental focus, processing speed, memory, word finding, organization, and problem-solving, as well as direct and adaptive skill training as needed
• Exertional rehabilitation, which focuses on improving exercise tolerance, as your body’s response to physical activity may change after a concussion
• Oculomotor rehabilitation, which involves retraining the visual system if you are experiencing double vision or other visual symptoms
• Rehabilitation to improve daily living activities, which involves creating environments that reduce visual stress and help quiet the noisy brain, pacing your activities to reduce the risk of overload, and balancing activity and rest to promote your brain’s recovery
• Vestibular rehabilitation, which focuses on improving symptoms related to dizziness