Research summary · Recovery and rehabilitation
Physical therapy options after sport-related concussion
A network meta-analysis compares exercise-based and multidisciplinary physical-therapy approaches for acute or persistent sport-related concussion.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized trials
- Journal
- Sports Health
- Population / context
- Sport-related concussion · Ages 12–60
What the publication reports
Twenty randomized trials included 1,320 participants, 57% female. Multidisciplinary care showed the strongest average symptom and recovery signal, followed by vestibular rehabilitation combined with subthreshold aerobic exercise.
Limits and interpretation
Sport and participation level were poorly reported and four trials had high risk of bias. Network rankings cannot determine the right treatment for a specific person and do not support unsupervised return to play.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Physical Therapy for Sport-Related Concussion: A Network Meta-analysis and Systematic Review
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42358080DOI: 10.1177/19417381261442593Full text at the sourceReader discussion
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