Quick Answer

Yes. Chiropractic care can be an important part of concussion recovery.

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury, but the force that causes a concussion does not affect the brain in isolation. That same impact can also affect the cervical spine, muscles, joints, balance, coordination, movement, and neuromusculoskeletal system.

girls baseball sliding into homeThose physical repercussions can contribute to headaches, neck pain, dizziness, restricted movement, balance problems, and difficulty getting an athlete back to normal activity and sport.

That is why, after more than 22 years in practice, I believe the neck and neuromusculoskeletal system should be evaluated early after a sports-related concussion—not weeks or months later as an afterthought.

Chiropractic is not a “cure” for the brain injury itself. However, when our examination identifies cervical and neuromusculoskeletal problems associated with the injury, chiropractic care can play an important role in addressing those problems and helping the athlete move through recovery.

Don’t think brain OR neck. Think brain AND neck.

Why I Believe Chiropractic Belongs in Concussion Recovery

When a young athlete sustains a concussion, parents understandably focus on the brain.

And they should.

A concussion needs to be taken seriously.

But after caring for athletes for more than two decades, I believe there is another question parents need to ask much earlier:

“What happened to my child’s neck during that impact?”

Think about the mechanics of a sports concussion.

  • A football player gets hit and his head snaps backward and rotates.
  • A soccer player collides with another athlete and falls to the ground.
  • A basketball player gets undercut and strikes the floor.
  • A gymnast falls from the beam.
  • The brain experiences forces associated with the concussion—but the neck is also absorbing and responding to those forces.
  • The head accelerates.
  • It decelerates.
  • It rotates.
  • The muscles contract.
  • The joints are stressed.
  • The cervical spine moves.
  • The body’s balance and movement systems have to respond.

Yet after the concussion is diagnosed, the focus can sometimes remain almost entirely on the brain.

I believe that is a mistake.

The concussion needs appropriate medical attention, but the physical injury surrounding the concussion deserves attention too.

And that is exactly why I believe chiropractic should be a strong consideration on the concussion recovery team.

Chiropractic Isn’t Just About Neck Pain

One misconception I want to change is that a chiropractor only becomes relevant after a concussion if the athlete says:

“My neck hurts.”

The cervical spine does much more than produce or not produce neck pain.

The joints, muscles, and sensory receptors of the neck provide information that contributes to the body’s awareness of head position and movement.

That information interacts with other systems involved in:

  • Balance
  • Coordination
  • Postural control
  • Movement
  • Visual orientation
  • Athletic performance

So after a significant impact, I am interested in much more than whether the athlete reports pain.

I want to know:

  • How is the neck moving?
  • How are the joints functioning?
  • How is muscular strength?
  • Is one side functioning differently from the other?
  • How is posture?
  • How is balance?
  • How is coordination?
  • How are the eyes tracking?
  • How is the athlete walking and moving?

Because an athlete can tell me:

“My neck doesn’t really hurt.”

and still have abnormal findings on examination.

That is one reason I believe the chiropractic evaluation can add something extremely valuable to the concussion recovery process.

The Symptoms Parents Call “Concussion Symptoms” May Have More Than One Contributor

Baseball team - girlsThis is one of the most important concepts in this entire discussion.

After a concussion, an athlete may experience:

  • Headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Neck pain
  • Restricted neck movement
  • Balance difficulties
  • Visual complaints
  • Fatigue
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Sleep changes
  • Problems returning to exercise or sport

Parents understandably associate all of these with the concussion.

But symptoms do not always tell us which system is contributing to them.

For example, cervical dysfunction can contribute to symptoms such as headaches, neck pain, dizziness, and certain balance-related complaints.

Vestibular problems may contribute.

Visual problems may contribute.

Exercise intolerance may contribute.

Sleep may contribute.

The brain injury itself may contribute.

And more than one of these can be happening at the same time.

That is why I don’t want parents thinking:

“It’s a concussion, so we just have to wait.”

I want them thinking:

“What specifically is keeping my child from recovering?”

That question can completely change the conversation.

Why Addressing the Neck May Help an Athlete Move Through Recovery

If an athlete has cervical dysfunction contributing to headaches, dizziness, restricted movement, balance difficulties, or other functional problems, simply waiting for the brain to recover does not necessarily address that part of the injury.

We need to identify it.

Then, when appropriate, we need to address it.

That is where chiropractic care can become a strong contributor to recovery.

Our goal is to improve the parts of the injury that fall within our expertise: cervical and spinal function, joint mobility, muscular function, movement, and other neuromusculoskeletal findings identified during the examination.

As those findings improve, we want to see the athlete functioning better too.

That might mean:

  • Fewer headaches
  • Better cervical range of motion
  • Less neck discomfort
  • Better balance
  • Improved movement
  • Better sleep
  • Greater exercise tolerance
  • Improved coordination
  • Increased ability to return to normal activities

Every athlete is different, and no healthcare provider should promise a specific result or recovery timeline.

But if a meaningful cervical or neuromusculoskeletal problem is present, I don’t believe ignoring it helps the athlete recover faster.

I believe identifying it and appropriately addressing it gives that athlete a better opportunity to recover completely.

What Does the Research Tell Us?

There is good reason to take the cervical component seriously.

Research has increasingly recognized cervical symptoms and dysfunction as important considerations following concussion, particularly when athletes experience persistent headaches, dizziness, or neck pain.

A systematic review published in Sports Medicine found cervical symptoms to be common following concussion and reported an association between early neck pain and persistent post-concussion symptoms.

In addition, a randomized controlled trial involving young athletes with persistent dizziness, neck pain, and/or headaches found that athletes receiving combined cervical spine and vestibular rehabilitation were more likely to receive medical clearance within the study period than those receiving the control intervention.

The international Amsterdam Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport also recognizes cervicovestibular rehabilitation when dizziness, neck pain, and/or headaches persist.

That matters.

It doesn’t prove that a chiropractic adjustment directly heals the injured brain, and I don’t need to make that claim.

It demonstrates something extremely important: the cervical component of concussion recovery deserves attention.

And evaluating and caring for the cervical and neuromusculoskeletal system is an area in which chiropractors can bring significant value to the healthcare team.

So What Does a Chiropractor Actually Do After a Concussion?

At Chandler Chiropractic, we don’t begin with:

“Where should we adjust?”

We begin with:

“What happened?”

Every concussion has a story.

We want to understand the impact itself:

  • How did the injury happen?
  • What direction did the athlete get hit?
  • Did the head strike another athlete, the ground, or equipment?
  • Was there another impact when they fell?
  • Was consciousness lost?
  • Was there confusion?
  • Was there memory loss?
  • What happened immediately afterward?

Then we want to know:

“What changed?”

  • Did headaches begin?
  • Did sleep change?
  • Did mood change?
  • Did appetite change?
  • Did concentration change?
  • Did school become harder?
  • Did balance change?
  • Did coordination change?
  • Did the athlete develop neck or back pain?
  • Are they dizzy?
  • Are they unusually tired?
  • Do they have visual complaints?
  • Can they perform the activities they could perform before the injury?

Those details help us understand much more than simply:

“Yes, my child had a concussion.”

Our Chiropractic Examination Looks at Function

Once we understand the history, we examine the athlete.

Depending on the circumstances and findings, our examination may include:

  • Cervical range of motion
  • Spinal and joint movement
  • Palpation of the cervical spine
  • Muscular strength and function
  • Left-to-right comparisons
  • Posture
  • Head position
  • Shoulder and hip symmetry
  • Balance
  • Gait
  • Heel-to-toe walking
  • Coordination
  • Eye tracking
  • Pupil responses
  • Neurological testing
  • Orthopedic testing
  • Other appropriate functional assessments

When clinically indicated, cervical X-rays may also help us evaluate the bony structures of the neck and identify findings that could influence our recommendations.

X-rays do not diagnose concussion.

We use them, when appropriate, because we want to understand what happened to the neck before deciding how to care for it.

Examine first. Then determine the appropriate care.

Why Is the Chiropractic Examination Different?

A pediatrician, emergency physician, neurologist, sports medicine physician, athletic trainer, physical therapist, and chiropractor can all bring valuable expertise to concussion recovery.

This isn’t about claiming that one profession can do something another profession is incapable of doing.

It’s about focus.

A medical evaluation may appropriately focus heavily on identifying the concussion, assessing neurological status, ruling out dangerous conditions, managing symptoms, determining whether additional testing is necessary, and guiding return-to-school and return-to-sport decisions.

As a chiropractor, I bring another concentrated perspective:

What happened to the cervical spine and neuromusculoskeletal system during this injury, and is that affecting how this athlete is functioning now?

That is an important question.

And it may not always receive the attention it deserves.

That is why I don’t want chiropractic viewed simply as something parents try after everything else has failed.

I want chiropractic considered early as part of a complete concussion recovery team.

Does Every Athlete With a Concussion Need an Adjustment?

No.

And that doesn’t weaken my belief in chiropractic. It demonstrates responsible chiropractic care.

A young athlete who has just sustained a significant head or neck injury should not simply walk into an office and automatically get adjusted.

We examine first.

If the history or examination suggests:

  • A possible fracture
  • Significant instability
  • Serious neurological involvement
  • Worsening neurological symptoms
  • Another contraindication to chiropractic adjustment
  • A condition requiring additional imaging or specialist evaluation

we refer appropriately.

If the athlete needs emergency care, that comes first. Also if they need sports medicine, neurology, orthopedics, vestibular rehabilitation, physical therapy, or another specialist, we involve them.

And if our examination identifies cervical and neuromusculoskeletal findings appropriate for chiropractic care:

Then we get to work on our part of the injury.

That is what being part of a healthcare team means.

Chiropractic Shouldn’t Be the Last Thing Parents Think About

This is one of my strongest beliefs about concussion care.

Too often, athletes arrive at chiropractic offices after weeks or months of struggling.

The concussion was diagnosed.

Serious medical problems may have been ruled out.

The family followed instructions.

They waited.

And waited.

Yet the athlete still has headaches, dizziness, balance problems, neck dysfunction, trouble exercising or they simply cannot perform their sport the way they did before.

Then somebody finally asks:

“Has anyone really looked at the neck?”

I would rather that question be asked much earlier.

If the neck is functioning normally, great.

If it isn’t, now we have valuable information that can influence the recovery plan.

Chiropractic shouldn’t have to be the last resort before someone finally examines the cervical and neuromusculoskeletal side of the injury.

What If My Child’s CT or MRI Was Normal?

This is another common source of confusion.

Parents may be told that CT or MRI imaging is normal and understandably think:

“Then why isn’t my child normal?”

Routine CT and MRI are valuable for identifying certain structural problems, but a concussion may exist even when structural imaging is normal.

And those scans don’t answer every functional question about the athlete.

  • How is their balance?
  • How is their cervical movement?
  • How is muscular function?
  • How are their eyes tracking?
  • How is their coordination?
  • How do they respond to exercise?
  • How are they functioning compared with before the injury?
  • Normal imaging does not automatically mean normal function.

That is why examination matters.

What If My Child Still Has Symptoms Weeks Later?

If an athlete continues struggling weeks after a concussion, I don’t want the only recommendation to be:

“Give it more time.”

Sometimes time is exactly what the body needs.

But sometimes persistent symptoms are telling us that something else deserves attention.

  • Headaches.
  • Dizziness.
  • Neck pain.
  • Balance problems.
  • Visual difficulty.
  • Sleep problems.
  • Exercise intolerance.
  • Concentration problems.
  • Difficulty returning to sport.
  • Those findings should make us curious.

Don’t just add more time. Add more information.

  • Has the neck been thoroughly evaluated?
  • Has balance been evaluated?
  • Vision?
  • Vestibular function?
  • Exercise tolerance?
  • Muscular function?
  • Movement?
  • Sleep?

There may not be one single answer.

But continuing to ask better questions gives us a much better chance of finding the pieces that are slowing recovery.

A 15-Year-Old Football Player Who Couldn’t Get Back to Football

One young football player we cared for illustrates why this matters.

He was 15 years old and had been struggling after a concussion.

His family reported daily headaches, significant balance problems, difficulty walking normally, poor coordination, and an inability to catch and play football the way he could before the injury.

They had already pursued care through other healthcare professionals, including primary care, physical therapy, and neurology.

But he still wasn’t himself.

Our examination identified cervical and neuromusculoskeletal findings that we believed were appropriate for chiropractic care.

His family noticed an early difference.

Over approximately four weeks of care, they reported that his balance and coordination returned, his sleep normalized, he was catching and playing football again, and his headaches decreased dramatically—from daily headaches to approximately one per month.

That is one athlete’s experience. It is not a promise that every athlete will respond the same way.

But it demonstrates why I believe chiropractic deserves a meaningful place in this conversation.

Sometimes the athlete doesn’t simply need more time. They need another part of the injury addressed.

Feeling Better Isn’t the Same as Functioning Better

This is especially important with athletes.

A child may eventually be able to:

sit through dinner,

watch television,

walk around the house,

attend school,

and say:

“I feel fine.”

That’s good.

But sports ask the nervous and musculoskeletal systems to do much more.

Can they sprint?

Cut?

Jump?

Land?

Track a ball?

Catch?

Rotate?

Tumble?

Balance on a beam?

React to another athlete?

Change direction under pressure?

Perform those movements while processing what is happening around them?

The sport may reveal what everyday life hides.

That is why recovery should not be judged by headache alone.

We need to look at how the athlete is actually functioning.

My Message to Sports Parents

I am a chiropractor, but I am also the father of athletic children.

If one of my children sustained a concussion, I would absolutely take the brain injury seriously.

I would watch for emergency warning signs, involve the appropriate healthcare professionals, follow the appropriate return-to-learn and return-to-sport process, and also make sure their cervical spine and neuromusculoskeletal system were thoroughly evaluated.

I would not wait weeks to think about the neck.

That is the same message I want to give other sports parents.

You don’t have to choose between your pediatrician and your chiropractor or  between sports medicine and chiropractic or  between the brain and the neck.

Build the team your athlete needs.

And when your child has sustained the kind of impact that can affect both the brain and the cervical spine:

Make chiropractic part of that team.

The Bottom Line

Can chiropractic care help after a concussion?

Yes.

Chiropractic does not need to claim that an adjustment “cures” the brain injury to have an important role in concussion recovery.

The same forces involved in a concussion can also affect the cervical spine and neuromusculoskeletal system. Those problems can contribute to headaches, dizziness, neck pain, restricted movement, balance problems, and difficulty returning to normal activity and sport.

When those findings are present, identifying and appropriately addressing them can be an important part of helping the athlete recover.

So if your child sustains a sports-related concussion, take the concussion seriously.

Get the appropriate medical evaluation.

Follow the proper recovery process.

But don’t stop there.

Ask what happened to the neck.

Ask how the athlete is functioning.

And make chiropractic part of the recovery team.

Don’t think brain OR neck. Think brain AND neck.

Lasting results for all stages of life.

Research & Resources

Patricios JS, Schneider KJ, Dvorak J, et al.
Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport: The 6th International Conference on Concussion in Sport—Amsterdam, October 2022. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2023.

Cheever K, McDevitt J, Phillips J, Kawata K.
The Role of Cervical Symptoms in Post-Concussion Management: A Systematic Review. Sports Medicine. 2021.

Schneider KJ, Meeuwisse WH, Nettel-Aguirre A, et al.
Cervicovestibular Rehabilitation in Sport-Related Concussion: A Randomised Controlled Trial. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2014.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — HEADS UP
Concussion recognition, recovery, return-to-school, and return-to-sports guidance.

This article is intended for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical evaluation. A suspected concussion should be appropriately evaluated. Seek immediate medical attention for emergency warning signs or worsening neurological symptoms.