Concussion Testing Melbourne & Geelong
The answers you need after a head injury, so you can recover with confidence.
Concussion clarity and confidence. The right plan from day one.
A concussion can be confusing, unpredictable, and often misunderstood. Our role is to remove that uncertainty.
At Concussion Central, our clinicians provide comprehensive, evidence-based concussion assessments to accurately diagnose your injury, identify what’s driving your symptoms, and map out a clear recovery plan.
What is a Concussion?
A concussion is a form of mild traumatic brain injury caused by forces transmitted to the brain following a blow to the head, neck, or body.
Symptoms may:
- Appear immediately, or
- Develop over hours to days
Common effects include changes in:
- Balance
- Emotions
- Thinking and concentration
- Vision and eye movements
- Symptoms such as headache, dizziness, or fatigue
Importantly, there is no single test that diagnoses concussion — it is a clinical diagnosis based on a detailed assessment.
What’s Involved in a Concussion Assessment?
Because no two concussions are the same, your assessment is completely tailored to you, helping us build a clear picture of how your brain and body have been affected, and what steps are needed to support your recovery.
Your assessment is a comprehensive, multi-system evaluation aligned with international best practice and can include:
- A detailed clinical history of your concussion and medical history
- Symptom evaluation
- Neurocognitive testing
- Vestibular & Oculomotor Assessment
- Balance & Postural Control
- Cervical Spine (Neck) Assessment
- Exercise Tolerance Testing
The team at Concussion Central will use their skills to interpret the results of these tests and provide you with:
- A clear diagnosis
- Explanation of your symptoms
- A personalised recovery plan
- Guidance on work, school, and sport
- A structured pathway for return to activity
Concussion Symptoms We Evaluate
There are a number of l symptoms and issues that may occur following a concussion. These include:
Headaches
Getting headaches following a concussion is common.
Headaches can be due to:
- Referral of pain from your neck
- Changes in your vision
- Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation
- Post traumatic headache or migraine
Our physiotherapists can assess your neck, vision, and ANS to determine if they are causing your headaches, then provide treatment for them.
Neck Pain or Injury
During a concussion injury, the force of hitting your head or body is transferred along your neck, commonly causing a whiplash type neck injury in addition to the concussion.
Headaches, dizziness and balance problems are symptoms of both concussion and whiplash injuries. Our experienced physiotherapists can provide neck manual therapy and exercises to treat these symptoms.
Vestibular and Visual System Dysfunction
Dysfunction of the vestibular (inner ear) and the visual systems following concussion can cause the following:
- Dizziness
- Balance problems
- Difficulty reading and concentrating
Our experienced physiotherapist can assess these systems and provide you with treatments aimed at alleviating these symptoms. If your visual issues are significant, you may be referred to an appropriate eye specialist for treatment.
Balance Issues
Balance problems following a concussion can be due to issues of:
- the vestibular system
- visual system
- neck proprioception
All of these areas are addressed during our comprehensive physiotherapy assessment and treatment.
Exercise Intolerance
Following a concussion, exercise may bring on:
- headaches
- lightheadedness
- dizziness
- Shortness of breath
These symptoms may be due to dysfunction of your autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS can be tested using a treadmill or bike test administered by our physiotherapists. An individualised, sport-specific, graded return-to-exercise program is then designed for you by our physiotherapist.
Sleep Issues and Fatigue
Some people experience difficulty getting to sleep or regular overnight waking following a concussion. Other people find they are sleeping excessively. On top of this, fatigue can be a common symptom following a concussion. Our team can provide you with education and advice on how to improve your sleep and fatigue levels.
Thinking, Concentration, and Emotional Dysfunction
Difficulty concentrating and feeling more emotional than usual are other common symptoms following a concussion. Usually, getting treatment for all of the areas outlined above can help improve these thinking and emotional issues. At times, it may also be useful to talk to a psychologist so that they can provide you with strategies to help with your thinking and emotions. Our team can help you decide if seeing a psychologist would be useful for you individually.
Early Concussion Assessment is Recommended
Early assessment and targeted treatment can improve recovery and may reduce the risk of persisting symptoms — which is why current best practice recommends early review after concussion. The Australian Institute for Sport Concussion and Brain Health Position Statement 2024 recommends review by a concussion trained physiotherapist 3-4 days post concussion and the International Concussion In Sport Group recommend specialist rehabilitation if symptoms such as dizziness, neck pain or headaches persist beyond 10 days.
Baseline Concussion Testing
Because every brain is different, it can be difficult to know what’s normal for you after a concussion without a pre-injury baseline to compare to.
Concussion baseline testing measures your normal brain function before any injury occurs, including areas such as memory, reaction time, decision making and balance. If a concussion occurs, your post-injury results can be compared to your own baseline to help identify changes and guide safer return-to-sport decisions. Testing can also be used to monitor progress during recovery.
If you are an athlete who plays a sport with a higher risk of concussion (such as football, soccer, rugby, basketball, ice hockey, horseriding or boxing), undergoing comprehensive baseline testing at the beginning of the season can help support more accurate and confident management if a concussion occurs.
Start Your Recovery With Our Specialised Concussion Clinic
Following your assessment and concussion diagnosis, our team will guide you through the next steps of your recovery with a personalised treatment plan tailored to your needs and goals. Whether you’re returning to sport, work, or daily life in general, our focus is on helping you recover safely.
If you’ve experienced a head injury or are concerned about ongoing symptoms, booking a concussion assessment is the first step towards getting the answers (and support) you need.