Just got a concussion? The first few days and weeks matter. Learn what to do after a concussion, what to avoid, when to seek medical attention, and how active, personalized concussion rehabilitation can support recovery. – Denver’s Concussion Clinic
A concussion can be confusing.
You may have been told to “rest,” stay in a dark room, avoid screens, avoid exercise, and wait for your symptoms to go away.
But what if your symptoms are not going away?
What if you feel dizzy, exhausted, anxious, foggy, nauseous, or unlike yourself?
And what if doing nothing is actually making you feel worse?
At Axon Integrative Health, we approach concussion recovery differently.
A concussion is not simply a headache that eventually disappears. It is a complex injury that can affect the Brain, Body, and Mind. Recovery is not just about waiting—it is about understanding what systems have been disrupted and progressively restoring function.
If you have just suffered a concussion, here is what we recommend focusing on.
First: Make Sure You Do Not Have a Medical Emergency
Before starting any concussion recovery plan, you need appropriate medical evaluation.
Seek emergency medical care after a head injury if you experience concerning or worsening symptoms such as:
- Loss of consciousness or inability to stay awake
- Worsening or severe headache
- Repeated vomiting
- Increasing confusion or unusual behavior
- Seizure
- Weakness or numbness
- Slurred speech
- Unequal pupils
- Increasing difficulty walking or coordinating movement
A concussion can exist alongside more serious injuries, and emergency conditions need to be ruled out first.
Once you have been appropriately evaluated, the next question becomes:
How do you actually recover?
What Is Actually Happening After a Concussion?
A concussion is more than “getting your bell rung.”
At Axon, we view concussion as involving both a physical and chemical disruption to the brain.
The physical component can involve force-related injury to structures including the axons—the communication pathways of the nervous system. The chemical component can involve disruption to neurotransmission and energy metabolism, potentially contributing to inflammation, impaired communication between neurons, and decreased neurological function.
This is one reason two people can suffer what appears to be the same type of concussion and have completely different symptoms.
One person may primarily experience:
- Headaches
- Neck pain
- Dizziness
- Balance problems
- Light sensitivity
Another may experience:
- Brain fog
- Difficulty concentrating
- Memory problems
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Sleep disturbances
And someone else may struggle primarily with:
- Fatigue
- Exercise intolerance
- Heart rate changes
- Blood pressure changes
- Temperature dysregulation
- Difficulty tolerating stress
The important point is this:
A concussion is not always one problem.
It can affect multiple systems, which means recovery should not always be one-size-fits-all.
The First 1–2 Weeks After a Concussion: Focus on Active Recovery
One of the biggest mistakes we see after a concussion is complete shutdown.
Yes, your brain needs recovery.
But recovery does not necessarily mean lying in a dark room all day, avoiding all movement, avoiding all stimulation, and waiting for life to pass.
Our concussion model prioritizes:
- Light, graded movement
- Appropriate rest and sleep
- Hydration
- Adequate caloric intake
- Breathwork and nervous system regulation
- Gradual cognitive exposure
- Symptom monitoring
- Progressive return to physical activity
The goal is not to push through severe symptoms.
The goal is also not to avoid every possible symptom.
The goal is to find the right level of challenge for your current nervous system and gradually build capacity.
Axon’s initial concussion priorities include daily light graded exercise, increased caloric and fluid intake, breathwork, and intentional rest and sleep rather than excessive passive screen time or “doom scrolling.”
Step 1: Do Something Every Day, But Start Small
After appropriate medical clearance, we generally want the recovery process to include controlled activity.
That might begin with:
- A short walk
- Gentle mobility
- Light reading
- Breathing exercises
- Simple eye movement or balance activities
- Other neurological exercises based on your symptoms
The key is graded exposure.
In our return-to-activity model, the first stage includes light movement, brief cognitive activity, breathwork, and careful tracking of symptoms and progression.
You should not judge your recovery solely by whether you can push through an activity.
Instead, ask:
- What happens during the activity?
- What happens immediately afterward?
- Do symptoms worsen later that day?
- What happens the next morning?
- Are you gradually increasing your tolerance?
Your symptoms are information.
Use them.
Step 2: Stop Waiting for the “Perfect” Amount of Rest
Rest is important after a concussion.
But rest should be purposeful.
Good recovery behaviors may include:
- Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule
- Using relaxation and breathing techniques
- Reducing unnecessary stress
- Taking breaks from demanding cognitive tasks
- Reducing excessive blue-light exposure before bed
- Avoiding long periods of mindless screen consumption
At the same time, your brain and body still need appropriate stimulation.
Walking is stimulation.
Reading is stimulation.
Balance is stimulation.
Eye movements are stimulation.
Conversation and community are stimulation.
The goal is to progressively expose your nervous system to the activities of normal life at a level it can tolerate.
Step 3: Hydrate and Fuel the Brain
A concussion is metabolically demanding.
Your brain requires energy to function, repair, adapt, and regulate itself.
Our early concussion recovery model emphasizes increasing caloric intake modestly—particularly through carbohydrates and fats—while increasing hydration and electrolyte support as appropriate.
For nutrition, we generally focus on:
- Adequate total calories
- High-quality proteins
- Healthy fats
- Omega-3-rich foods
- Antioxidant-rich foods
- Adequate carbohydrates
- Hydration
- Gut support
We also recommend avoiding things that may further burden recovery, including excessive alcohol and highly processed foods.
Step 4: Do Not Ignore Your Neck
Not every post-concussion symptom is coming directly from the brain.
The cervical spine can be significantly affected during the same event that caused the concussion.
Neck dysfunction can contribute to:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Visual disturbances
- Balance problems
- Neck stiffness
- Tension
- Proprioceptive dysfunction
This is one of the reasons a complete concussion evaluation should look beyond the brain alone.
At Axon, we consider a cervicogenic component as one of the major patterns that can contribute to persistent symptoms after concussion.
Step 5: Identify Your Concussion Pattern
At Axon, we organize concussion dysfunction into several major categories that can overlap.
1. Blood Flow and Autonomic Dysfunction
This pattern may involve:
- Dizziness
- Exercise intolerance
- Heart rate abnormalities
- Blood pressure changes
- Temperature regulation issues
2. Metabolic, Hormonal, and Inflammatory Dysfunction
This may include:
- Severe fatigue
- Poor stress tolerance
- Hormonal disruption
- Increased inflammatory burden
3. Oculomotor, Visual, Vestibular, and Proprioceptive Dysfunction
This may involve:
- Eye strain
- Difficulty reading
- Dizziness
- Motion sensitivity
- Balance problems
- Difficulty focusing
4. Cervicogenic Dysfunction
This may include:
- Neck pain
- Stiffness
- Tension headaches
- Dizziness associated with neck movement
5. Frontal-Limbic, Psychological, and Cognitive Dysfunction
This may involve:
- Brain fog
- Memory problems
- Difficulty concentrating
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Mood changes
- Emotional dysregulation
These categories are not mutually exclusive. A person may have several contributing systems involved at the same time.
This is why we do not believe the best question is simply:
“How bad is my concussion?”
A better question is:
“What is contributing to my symptoms right now?”
Step 6: Progress Through a Structured Return to Activity
Recovery should have a progression.
You do not go from sitting in a dark room directly back to full sports, full exercise, full work, and full cognitive demand.
You build capacity.
Our return-to-activity progression generally moves through stages such as:
- Light movement and basic recovery
- Light aerobic activity
- Moderate aerobic activity and light resistance
- Sport- or activity-specific movement
- Real-world drills or non-contact practice
- Full practice after appropriate medical clearance
- Full return to activity
The progression is symptom-guided.
If symptoms recur, the protocol recommends stopping, allowing recovery, and repeating or adjusting the stage rather than blindly pushing forward.
The later stages progressively introduce more complex movement, higher cardiovascular demand, cognitive load, coordination, vestibular training, sensorimotor integration, and eventually controlled return to practice.
Progression can occur every 24–48 hours when symptoms do not return, while delayed symptom recurrence may require a longer recovery period before attempting progression again.
Important: Return to contact sports, high-risk activities, or other situations with a risk of repeat head injury should be medically supervised.
Step 7: Do Not Ignore Persistent Symptoms
Some people improve quickly.
Others do not.
If your symptoms are continuing, changing, or preventing you from returning to school, work, exercise, or normal life, you may need a more detailed assessment.
Persistent concussion symptoms are often a sign that one or more systems still need to be identified and addressed.
At Axon, our assessment may include:
- Comprehensive functional neurological examination
- qEEG brain mapping
- Buffalo Treadmill Exercise Testing
- Cognitive and neuropsychological evaluation
- Computerized balance assessment
- Sensory-motor integration testing
- Oculomotor analysis
- Pupillometry
- Blood laboratory testing
- Metabolic breath analysis
- Specialty laboratory testing when indicated
The purpose is not simply to give you a concussion diagnosis.
The purpose is to identify the factors contributing to your specific symptoms and build an individualized plan.
What Does Concussion Treatment Look Like at Axon?
There is no single therapy that fixes every concussion.
The right approach depends on the systems affected.
Our concussion care model may include individualized strategies involving:
- Graded neurorehabilitation
- Neuromuscular re-education
- Sensory-motor integration
- Vestibular and visual rehabilitation
- Functional movement therapy
- Chiropractic and physical medicine
- NeuroAcupuncture
- Photobiomodulation
- TLNS
- Vagus nerve stimulation
- Neuromuscular or peripheral nerve stimulation
- Neurofeedback
- TMS or tDCS when clinically appropriate
- PEMF
- Audio-visual entrainment
- Compression therapy
- IV therapy
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
- Functional medicine support
- Nutritional and supplement strategies
Our approach is to determine which tools make sense for the individual, rather than putting every patient through the same protocol.
What About Supplements After a Concussion?
Our existing Axon concussion resources include nutritional and supplement strategies intended to support early recovery, including DHA-dominant omega-3s, magnesium, B vitamins, creatine, glutathione support, and gastrointestinal support.
However, supplements are not a substitute for medical evaluation or individualized care.
The right strategy can depend on factors such as:
- Medications
- Medical history
- Other injuries
- Gastrointestinal health
- Bleeding risk
- Age
- Pregnancy status
- Other neurological conditions
Because of this, supplementation should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional who understands your individual situation.
The Axon Big 5: Your Foundation for Concussion Recovery
At Axon, we begin with five foundational areas:
Nutrition
Give the brain and body the energy and nutrients required for recovery.
Sleep
Create the conditions for neurological recovery, repair, and regulation.
Exercise
Use graded movement to progressively restore cardiovascular, neurological, and physical capacity.
Breath
Support autonomic regulation and nervous system control through intentional breathing practices.
Community
Recovery is easier when you have appropriate support, connection, and emotional resources.
These foundations are then combined with individualized evaluation of brain function, gut health, neurotransmitter balance, metabolism, inflammation, musculoskeletal function, movement patterns, pain regulation, and brain connectivity.
How Long Does It Take to Recover From a Concussion?
There is no single recovery timeline.
Some people improve relatively quickly.
Others experience symptoms for weeks or longer.
Only half of the people who get concussions heal within the 21 day timeline we have used for so long – making this timeline rather obsolete now.
Your recovery depends on multiple factors, including the systems affected, your previous health, the nature of the injury, previous concussions, neck involvement, autonomic function, metabolic health, sleep, stress, and how effectively your rehabilitation is matched to your specific deficits.
That is why we do not believe concussion recovery should be treated as a simple countdown.
Healing from a concussion is a process—not just a timeline.
The goal is to progressively restore your ability to tolerate:
- Physical activity
- Cognitive demands
- Visual demands
- Balance and movement
- Stress
- Exercise
- Work
- School
- Sport
- Normal life
What Should You Do Immediately After a Concussion? The Short Version
If you just got a concussion:
- Get evaluated and rule out an emergency.
- Do not ignore worsening neurological symptoms.
- Prioritize appropriate sleep and recovery.
- Avoid complete shutdown for prolonged periods unless medically directed.
- Begin light, graded activity when medically appropriate.
- Hydrate and adequately fuel your body.
- Use symptom response to guide progression.
- Pay attention to your neck, vision, balance, heart rate, mood, cognition, and exercise tolerance.
- Do not return to contact or high-risk activity without appropriate clearance.
- Seek specialized care if symptoms persist or you are not progressing.
Concussion Care in Denver at Axon Integrative Health
At Axon Integrative Health, we do not just ask:
“Do you have a concussion?”
We ask:
- What systems were affected?
- What is driving your symptoms?
- What can you tolerate right now?
- What is preventing you from progressing?
- What does your brain, body, and mind need to recover?
Our goal is to identify your contributing factors and build a personalized path toward recovery, performance, and long-term neurological health.
Whether you are dealing with a recent concussion, persistent post-concussion symptoms, dizziness, brain fog, headaches, exercise intolerance, cognitive changes, or difficulty returning to work or sport, the first step is understanding what is actually happening.
Your concussion recovery should be more than waiting for time to pass.
It should be a plan.
Frequently Asked Questions About Concussion Recovery
Should I sleep after a concussion?
Sleep and proper recovery are important after a concussion. However, concerns such as worsening confusion, inability to stay awake, repeated vomiting, or other serious neurological changes should be medically evaluated.
Should I stay in a dark room after a concussion?
Temporary reduction of activities that significantly worsen symptoms may be appropriate, but prolonged complete isolation and inactivity are not the same as structured recovery. Axon’s recovery model emphasizes graded movement, controlled cognitive activity, breathwork, and progressive return to activity as tolerated.
Can I exercise after a concussion?
After appropriate medical evaluation, controlled and graded exercise may be part of recovery. The intensity and type of exercise should match your current symptoms and capacity. If symptoms recur, the activity may need to be adjusted or the progression repeated.
Why am I dizzy after my concussion?
Dizziness can have multiple contributors after a concussion, including autonomic dysfunction, vestibular dysfunction, visual or oculomotor problems, proprioceptive dysfunction, and cervical spine involvement.
Why do I still have symptoms weeks after my concussion?
Persistent symptoms can indicate that one or more systems remain dysfunctional. A more comprehensive assessment can help identify contributors involving the autonomic nervous system, vision, vestibular system, neck, metabolism, inflammation, cognition, and psychological or emotional regulation.
When can I return to sports after a concussion?
Return to sport should follow a structured progression and should include appropriate medical clearance before returning to contact or other high-risk activities. Axon’s protocol progresses from light movement through aerobic conditioning, sport-specific activity, non-contact practice, and full return to play.
Ready to Understand Your Concussion?
If you recently suffered a concussion, or you are still dealing with symptoms weeks, months, or years later, the first step is identifying what is contributing to your symptoms.
Schedule a concussion evaluation at Axon Integrative Health and let us help you build a personalized recovery plan for your Brain, Body, and Mind.
