We hear it all the time in clinic:
“It’s been three weeks… so I can play this weekend, right?” We get it. Sitting out is hard. Sport is routine, socialising and part of your identity. Missing games feels huge.
But here’s the problem – the “3-week rule” is one of the most misunderstood parts of concussion recovery and protocols.
Three weeks is not the standard recovery time.
It’s the minimum possible timeframe; only if everything goes perfectly.
Returning too soon increases the risk of repeat concussion and longer recovery. This is what has happened in the past when there were no protocols and we all know about the longer-term issues of repeated concussion.
Concussion Protocols require you to pass through 3 stages. Stage 1 is treatment and resolution of symptoms. Stage 2 two full weeks training symptom-free and Stage 3 returning to games.
That is how 3 weeks being the shortest time back to sport is calculated.
It assumes Stage 1 will only be 1 week. And Stage 2 will be only 2 weeks.
Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn’t.
To complete Stage 1 of the concussion recovery pathway, you must first be:
• completely symptom-free, measured by a concussion specialist
• back to full time school or work
Stage 1 timeframe is complex and depends on a multitude of variables. If you sustain a concussion, Stage 1 might be 1, 2, 4, 6 weeks or (rarely) longer. Every concussion is different.
At Active Solutions Physiotherapy we measure Stage 1 objectively with a battery of tests:
• balance testing
• neck mobility
• eye tracking (VOMS using Virtual Reality Goggles)
• cognitive tests
• exercise stress test
Completing stage 1 is key. If symptoms are still there – headaches, fogginess, dizziness, neck pain – the clock to return to games hasn’t even started yet.
That is why baseline at the start of each season is so helpful. We already know what your stage 1 measurements need to be and can then confidently get you back to sport at the earliest possible point in time.
If you are signed up to winter sport, book in for a baseline test so that your pathway through Stage 1 is as quick as possible.
