A concussion in a child or adolescent is not the same as one in an adult. Growing brains recover on their own timelines, symptoms are often harder for a young person to describe, and school, sport and screen time all shape how recovery goes.
At In Step Physical Therapy in Edmonton, our physiotherapists assess and treat children and teenagers after concussion, working alongside the family and, where appropriate, the school and the young person’s physician.
Any child or teenager with a suspected concussion should be assessed by a physician first. Physiotherapy supports recovery; it does not replace that medical assessment.
Seek emergency care immediately if a child has a worsening headache, repeated vomiting, a seizure, weakness or numbness, slurred speech, unusual drowsiness, or cannot be woken.
Depending on the child’s age and symptoms, an assessment may include:
Assessment is adapted to the child. A seven-year-old and a sixteen-year-old need very different approaches.
For school-age patients, getting back to the classroom usually comes before getting back to sport. We work with families on a staged return, adjusting as symptoms allow.
Decisions about medical clearance for return to sport rest with the young person’s physician. Our role is to provide the physiotherapy assessment that informs that conversation and to guide graded activity in between.
Parents and caregivers see things a clinician does not: how the child is sleeping, how they are coping with homework, whether they are withdrawing from friends. We build that into the plan.
Where a family finds it useful, we can provide written guidance to share with teachers or coaches about activity limits and pacing during recovery.
Most children recover from concussion, though timelines vary and some take longer than others. Where symptoms persist, assessment aims to identify what is driving them — the neck, the vestibular system, visual strain, deconditioning, or a combination — so treatment targets the right thing.
We avoid predicting recovery timelines. Progress is reviewed as we go, and if physiotherapy is not the right answer for a particular child we will say so.
A parent, caregiver or physician can contact us to discuss whether physiotherapy is appropriate. We will explain what an assessment involves and what to expect.
See also our adult concussion physiotherapy and pediatric physiotherapy pages.
Yes. A suspected concussion should be assessed by a physician first. Physiotherapy supports recovery alongside that medical care rather than replacing it.
That depends on the child and what the physician advises. Contact us and we will discuss timing based on where your child is in their recovery.
Not usually for long. Current guidance favours a staged return to learning rather than complete rest, adjusted to how symptoms respond. We work with families on that pacing.
Medical clearance for return to sport is the physician decision. We provide the physiotherapy assessment and graded activity that inform it.
Yes. For children and younger teens we would expect a parent or caregiver to be present.
Many extended health plans include physiotherapy for dependants. If the concussion happened in a motor vehicle accident, different coverage may apply. We can explain what applies before treatment starts.
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Call (587) 409-1754 or use the form above. We will talk through your child’s situation and whether a physiotherapy assessment is the right next step.
