Effect of Vestibular Rehabilitaiton on Recovery Outcomes in Adolescents with Sports Related Concussions

Purpose: To examine the association between timing of vestibular rehabilitation initiation and recovery time in adolescents with sports related concussions. Hypothesis: Earlier intervention with vestibular rehabilitation following a sports related concussion will reduce recovery time Methods: This retrospective case-control study included patients 12-22 years old who were seeking treatment for a sports related concussion and received vestibular rehabilitation. Measures for clinical profiles, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and recovery time were analyzed. Results: The early intervention group (8-10 days) had a median recovery time that was 10 days less than the late intervention group (>10 days) despite similar treatment times with 46.15% of those with primary vestibular profile being designated as cleared ("Not Applicable") after vestibular rehabilitation. Of note, only 5.95% of the patients were diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Conclusion: In adolescents with sports related concussion, earlier vestibular rehabilitation reduces recovery time.