5 Common Mistakes After a Concussion (and How to Avoid Them)

By Dr. Arryn Gamble, PT, DPT, NCS, MSCS
Board-Certified Neurologic Physical Therapist | NeuroPathways Rehab & Wellness

Why “Taking It Easy” Isn’t Enough

I’ve treated countless people after a head injury, and I hear consistently – “my doctor told me I should rest and limit all activity, light, music, and interaction until I stop having symptoms.” Mind you, they are finally coming to me months after the concussion and still having symptoms…AND STILL limiting exposure to all of the above mentioned things. If you’ve experienced a concussion, you’ve also probably heard advice like “just rest and it’ll heal.” While rest is important early on, too much inactivity, misinformation, or overexertion can actually slow recovery.

As a neuro rehab specialist and concussion coach, I’ve worked with so many individuals who felt stuck weeks or months after their injury - often because of a few avoidable mistakes such as this.

In this article, you’ll learn the five most common post-concussion mistakes and how an evidence-based online concussion treatment program can help you avoid them for good.

Mistake #1: Resting Too Long and Avoiding Activity Altogether

Here we go! After a concussion, your brain needs a short recovery window - like 24-48 hrs - but extended rest can actually backfire.

When people stay inactive for weeks, it can:

• Increase fatigue, anxiety, and sleep disturbance

• Delay the brain’s re-adaptation to movement and stimulation

• Reduce cardiovascular and vestibular tolerance

What we SHOULD do:
Gradually reintroduce activity using a graded exercise approach that stays within your symptom threshold. Only having mild symptoms during activity is desirable and safe. We don’t want to push past this and risk a non-productive flare up, but THE BRAIN CANNOT FIX WHAT IT CAN’T SEE. If we are not exposing it to triggering stimuli, how will is build back these altered connections? Your brain is capable of catching miscommunications and essentially “recalibrating” the system to restore the proper signals. In virtual rehab, your therapist can safely progress your walking, balance, and exertion tolerance step-by-step while tracking your symptom responses in real time.

Mistake #2: Ignoring the Neck

Many post-concussion symptoms actually come from the neck - especially headache and dizziness. Yet, neck rehab is often overlooked.

Tight cervical muscles and joint stiffness can disrupt sensory input to the brain, making it harder to coordinate movement and sense the position of the head correctly. This mismatch in sensory information can lead to dizziness with head movement and balance issues. Limited neck mobility can also contribute to this dizziness and/or painful cervicogenic headaches. Restoring postural control to limit fatigue and pain of these areas is also crucial for successful recovery.

How to fix it:
A skilled clinician can assess neck mobility virtually through guided movement tests and prescribe targeted posture and mobility exercises to restore normal function. These are core components of online concussion rehab, and they’re crucial for reducing headaches, dizziness, and imbalance.

Mistake #3: Overlooking Vision and Eye Movement Problems

Did you know that rehab can address coordinated eye movements?! Think about it – the eyes are some of the busiest muscles in the body – and they take in SO MUCH information about our surroundings. If screens, reading, or grocery-store aisles make your symptoms worse, your visual system may still be impaired. Post-concussion vision issues can include:

• Difficulty focusing

• Blurred or double vision

• Eye strain or delayed reaction time

How to fix it:
A virtual neuro rehab specialist can screen for oculomotor deficits and visual sensitivity contributing to dizziness, then prescribe eye-tracking, convergence, visual vertigo habituation, and gaze-stabilization drills that can be done at home with minimal equipment.

💡 These visual retraining techniques are proven to improve focus and reduce visual motion sensitivity over time - no clinic visits required.

Mistake #4: “Pushing Through” or Ignoring Triggers

Now listen…I work with a lot of athletes, high-performing busy professionals, and type A personalities (myself included) and they are ready to recover – like yesterday. I have a lot of respect for the drive and a competitive personality, but for concussion recovery – you can be your own worst enemy. A common mistake is pushing through symptoms under the mindset of “no pain, no gain.” But in concussion recovery, overloading your nervous system can prolong symptoms and lead to setback cycles.

What to do:
With structured remote concussion coaching, you’ll learn how to identify your personal triggers (light, motion, stress, or screen time) and manage them through pacing, environment modification, and autonomic regulation techniques. Like I mentioned above, the brain cannot fix what it can’t see, so exposure is necessary, but in small amounts at a time. If the brain is becoming overwhelmed, the activity is NO LONGER productive.

Online programs allow your therapist to monitor symptoms daily, helping you adjust activities in real time to stay within your productive recovery zone.

Mistake #5: Waiting Too Long to Get Help

Many people wait months hoping symptoms will fade, but persistent issues rarely resolve on their own once they’ve become chronic. Once your stage of recovery hits 4 weeks after the concussion, now we are in the chronic “post-concussion syndrome” phase.

Delaying care can make the nervous system more sensitive and harder to recalibrate – making symptoms more stubborn.

How to fix it:
Early, guided intervention through online concussion treatment can address the root causes of symptoms before they become long-term. Whether your injury was weeks or months ago, structured virtual rehab can help you retrain your balance, vision, neck, and cognition safely.

Curious about how online concussion treatment works? Read here:

How Online Concussion Treatment Works: What to Expect in Virtual Rehab

The Bottom Line: You Don’t Have to Recover Alone

Recovering from a concussion doesn’t have to mean endless guessing or isolation. With expert guidance through a virtual neuro coaching program, you can rebuild your confidence, function, and quality of life from home.

At NeuroPathways Rehab & Wellness, my personalized online concussion program helps you:

• Identify your unique triggers and recovery barriers

• Follow a customized, symptom-guided exercise plan – no guessing game – just results

• Track progress using interactive tools

• Receive ongoing support and education each step of the way

Ready to move forward in your recovery?
Book a Free Discovery Call to learn how remote concussion rehab can help you get your life back.