Occupational and Physiotherapy modalities used to support interdisciplinary rehabilitation after concussion: A Scoping Review.
Mille Nabsen Marwaa, Heidi Klakk Egebæk, Julie Dalgaard Guldager
PMID 37227069WHAT IT FOUND
Concussion rehabilitation in adults mainly used vestibular, neck, exercise, education and coping strategies.
Physiotherapists were involved more often than occupational therapists, who appeared in only two studies. No included study specifically targeted early post-concussion care.
Key findings
01Ten included studies described PT and OT concussion rehabilitation modalities grouped into manual and sensory motor interventions, physical exercise interventions, and management and coping; four addressed social participation and discharge support.
02Physiotherapists were engaged more often than occupational therapists; occupational therapists participated in only two included studies.
03No included study specifically targeted adults in the acute or sub-acute phase after concussion; only some retrospective studies included some early-stage patients.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This is a scoping review, so it maps what has been studied rather than testing whether treatments work. The included studies were small and heterogeneous, with participant numbers from 4 to 151 and designs including chart reviews, case series, and randomized trials. Intervention components were seldom clearly described, so some important details may have been lost in interpretation. The search was limited to English, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish and selected databases, so relevant studies in other languages may be missing. Some included studies had participants below age 16, so the review is not purely adult. No included study specifically targeted early acute or sub-acute concussion, so it gives little direct guidance for the first weeks after injury. OTs were involved in only two studies, so the review cannot show what occupational therapy specifically adds.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that any PT or OT concussion treatment works. The review mapped heterogeneous studies, including small case series, and did not assess study quality or pool treatment effects.