How Occupational Therapy Helps After a Concussion
Learn how neuro occupational therapy supports concussion recovery—helping restore focus, balance, and daily life skills.
Understanding Concussion Recovery
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), can affect how the brain processes information and coordinates everyday activities. While many people recover within weeks, others experience persistent symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, headaches, and difficulty focusing. These ongoing effects—often called post-concussion syndrome—can interfere with work, school, and relationships.
That’s where neuro occupational therapy (neuro OT) plays a critical role. At Orca Therapy in Vancouver WA, we focus on helping people rebuild the cognitive, sensory, and physical skills needed for a full return to daily life.
How Neuro Occupational Therapy Supports Concussion Recovery
1️⃣ Cognitive Rehabilitation
Concussions can impact attention, memory, and executive function (planning, organization, and self-monitoring). Neuro OTs use evidence-based cognitive retraining to help clients regain these skills through structured activities and real-life practice.
Research supports that targeted, occupation-based cognitive training improves recovery and participation following mTBI (Cicerone et al., 2019).
Examples include:
Vision Therapy
Developing personalized strategies for managing attention and fatigue
Using planners or digital reminders for memory and organization
Practicing decision-making and task sequencing in simulated daily routines
2️⃣ Vision and Sensory Integration
Many concussion symptoms—like light sensitivity, eye strain, or feeling “off-balance”—stem from visual or vestibular dysfunction. Neuro OTs assess how the eyes, inner ear, and brain are working together and guide clients through graded, sensory-based retraining.
This may include:
Eye tracking and scanning exercises
Gradual exposure to visual and motion stimuli
Environmental modifications to reduce sensory overload
Studies show that vision and vestibular therapy integrated into occupational therapy can reduce post-concussion symptoms and improve function (Mucha et al., 2018).
3️⃣ Energy Management and Daily Routines
One of the most common post-concussion challenges is fatigue—both mental and physical. Neuro OTs help clients pace their days using structured activity planning and rest breaks, optimizing recovery without overexertion.
A 2021 systematic review found that individualized, occupation-based pacing interventions improved quality of life and reduced symptom recurrence after concussion (Silverberg & Iverson, 2021).
4️⃣ Returning to School, Work, or Daily Roles
Reintegrating into work, school, or parenting can be overwhelming after a concussion. Occupational therapists collaborate with clients (and, when needed, employers or educators) to design graded return-to-activity plans. This ensures tasks are reintroduced safely while protecting the healing brain.
Support might include:
Modifying work tasks or screen time
Teaching symptom monitoring techniques
Building resilience strategies for cognitive overload
The Neuro OT Difference
Unlike general rehabilitation, neuro-focused occupational therapy tailors recovery to how the brain heals—not just the body. It combines science-backed interventions with real-life relevance, helping people rebuild confidence and independence step by step.
References
Cicerone KD, Goldin Y, Ganci K, et al. Evidence-Based Cognitive Rehabilitation: Updated Review of the Literature From 2009 Through 2014. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2019. Link
Mucha A, et al. Rehabilitation After Concussion. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2018. Link
Silverberg ND, Iverson GL. Management of Concussion and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Synthesis of Practice Guidelines. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2021. Link
