SYM · History01 / 05
Symptoms & story
We review the injury, symptom pattern, health history, work, school, sport, and daily demands. This creates a documented baseline that can be compared as rehabilitation progresses.
Concussion treatment & rehabilitation · Bank & Hunt Club · Ottawa
Concussion treatment in Ottawa, guided by a measured recovery plan.
At River Chiropractic in south Ottawa, concussion rehabilitation starts with a structured assessment of symptoms, neck function, balance, eye movement, and exertion tolerance. Care is individualized for teens and adults managing headaches, dizziness, neck pain, visual strain, or challenges returning to work, school, sport, and daily life.
Live · unsettled signalThis is what the first days can feel like. Move your cursor along the line. Steady attention calms it, and good care should bring more clarity too.
The problem
Persistent concussion symptoms deserve a clearer next step.
The headache that moves around. A neck that aches by mid-afternoon. Rooms that tilt slightly when you turn your head. Screens that drain you in twenty minutes. Then comes advice from every direction: rest completely, push through it, just give it time.
None of it answers the only question that matters: what should I do next?
A concussion can affect several systems at once, and symptoms may also be influenced by the neck, balance system, vision, sleep, and tolerance for physical or cognitive effort. That is why this concussion program starts with a structured assessment rather than a one-size-fits-all protocol.
- Headaches that shift or linger common
- Neck pain and stiffness common
- Dizziness, unsteady balance common
- Fog, fatigue, slow screens common
- Symptoms that spike with exercise common
- “Still not right” weeks later assessable
Stage 01 · Assess: signal: high variance
A structured concussion assessment, built around your symptoms and goals.
Your first visit at our south Ottawa clinic is a comprehensive, rehabilitation-focused concussion assessment. It is unhurried, systematic, and explained as we go. We review your symptoms and examine relevant areas such as cervical function, balance, visual and oculomotor function, movement, and exertion tolerance. Your findings, goals, work, school, and sport demands shape the rehabilitation plan.
CX · Cervical spine02 / 05
The neck
Head or body impacts can also load the cervical spine. We assess movement, strength, joint function, and tenderness because cervical factors can contribute to headache, neck pain, and dizziness.
VOM · Vestibular / oculomotor03 / 05
Vision & vestibular function
A vestibular and oculomotor screen looks at eye tracking, focusing, coordination, and balance responses. Findings may help explain dizziness, visual strain, brain fog, or screen intolerance.
BAL · Balance / movement04 / 05
Balance & movement
We assess steadiness and movement control with repeatable measures so changes can be compared over time rather than estimated by appearance alone.
EXT · Exertion tolerance05 / 05
Response to exertion
We assess how symptoms respond as physical effort increases. This helps guide symptom-limited exercise and informs a graded return to activity, work, and sport.
Replace · [MEDIA] 01
Clinic photo of Dr. Farah performing a cervical or balance assessment. Landscape, calm lighting.
Dr. Charles Farah, DC explains your findings in plain language. You leave knowing what was found, what chiropractic care may address, and when referral or coordinated care may be appropriate.
Noise becomes information
Understanding is where the light comes back.
Once your recovery has numbers, names, and a direction, it becomes easier to understand what can be worked on and what needs to be monitored.
Stage 02 · Understand: signal: settling
Persistent post-concussion symptoms are easier to manage when their contributors are identified.
A concussion can produce overlapping symptoms with different contributing factors. We use your assessment to identify patterns, decide what may be appropriate within chiropractic care, and recognize when referral or coordinated care is needed. Choose a symptom to see how we approach it:
Headaches
What we assess
What care may include
Your individualized plan may combine
- Cervical rehabilitation
- Manual therapy when clinically indicated
- Progressive, symptom-guided exercise
- Activity pacing for work & school
- Return to work and return to sport planning
- Referral and coordinated care when needed
If your recovery needs care outside our scope, we explain that clearly and refer or coordinate care early.
Stage 03 · Rebuild: signal: trending steady
Concussion rehabilitation progresses by tolerance and function, not by the calendar alone.
Recovery is a series of thresholds. We reassess the measures that were relevant at baseline and use symptom response, function, and activity tolerance to guide each progression.
Symptoms settle with daily lifeHome, errands, and light routine no longer set you back.
Light aerobic effort without a lasting symptom increaseEasy activity stays within an appropriate symptom range as tolerance improves.
Neck, balance & visual measures improveRelevant baseline measures improve and can be compared over time.
Work and sport specific demands returnTurning, lifting, screens, or drills from your real week are reintroduced deliberately.
Full activity with continued monitoringReturn to complete work or training, with follow-up based on your symptoms, function, and goals.
Flare-ups can happen. Plan for them. A harder day provides useful information. The plan can be adjusted, the load can change, and progression can resume from a tolerable level.
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Clinic photo or short video of guided rehabilitation or graded exercise in progress. Landscape, natural light.
Stage 04 · Return: signal: stable
A measured return to work, school, sport, and everyday life.
The goal is not only fewer symptoms. It is tolerating the demands that matter in your real life. Return to work, return to learn, and return to sport are progressed according to symptoms, function, and relevant testing. When medical clearance is required, it remains the responsibility of a physician or nurse practitioner.
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Wide photo or short video of a patient leaving the clinic in daylight, or back at their sport or desk. 21:9 works well here.
Start with a concussion assessment.
Your first visit gives you a documented starting point, an explanation of the findings, and an individualized plan for what comes next. You remain in control of every decision.
Book a concussion assessment
Prefer to talk first? (613) 520-0200
Not sure the program fits? Call us. We will tell you whether an assessment here makes sense.
Your first visit in south Ottawa
What to expect at your first concussion appointment in Ottawa.
Booking & fees
- Initial concussion assessment Contact us for current fees
- Follow-up visits Contact us for current fees
- Physician referral Not required to book chiropractic care
- Insurance Direct billing to most major insurers
- Motor vehicle collisions We can guide the paperwork
Good to bring
- Any imaging or clinic notes you have Helpful, not required
- Glasses or contacts you normally wear For the visual screen
- A list of current medications For the history
- Comfortable clothing You’ll move a little
- Service English & French
Common questions
Concussion treatment in Ottawa: common questions before you book.
Do I need a physician’s referral?
No referral is needed to book a chiropractic assessment. If a concussion is suspected, a physician or nurse practitioner should provide the medical assessment and diagnosis. Under Ontario’s Rowan’s Law, only a physician or nurse practitioner can provide medical clearance for unrestricted amateur competitive sport. We coordinate with those providers when appropriate.
My injury was months ago. Is it too late for this to help?
It’s not too late to be assessed. Persistent post-concussion symptoms may have identifiable contributors involving the neck, vestibular and visual systems, exertion tolerance, sleep, or disrupted routines. The assessment’s job is to identify relevant findings and be clear about what chiropractic care can and cannot address.
Do I still need a doctor or nurse practitioner?
Chiropractic concussion rehabilitation works alongside medical care, not instead of it. A physician or nurse practitioner is responsible for medical diagnosis and clearance where required. We refer and coordinate care with other providers when appropriate and with your consent.
Is treatment safe after a concussion?
Care is matched to your assessment findings and kept within symptom-guided limits. Testing first helps determine what may be appropriate. Techniques are selected for your presentation, progress is reassessed, and findings outside the chiropractic scope are referred to the appropriate health professional.
Is concussion rehabilitation covered by insurance?
Chiropractic care is included in many extended health plans. We offer direct billing to most major insurers and provide clear receipts when a plan handles claims differently. Please confirm the details and limits of your own coverage.