Therapeutic Interventions for Workers With Mild Traumatic Head Injury

1. Patient Education and Self-Care

This chapter will introduce the role of patient education to address any negative perceptions and promote patient engagement in aerobic exercise. Understanding patient perceptions and fear avoidance behaviors will create an opportunity for therapists to address patient-centered care with graded exercise that will assist in return to function. Additionally, we will review appropriate exercise prescription to address patient impairments and symptomology.

2. Vestibular and Concussion Interventions

In this chapter, we will review interventions and rehabilitation strategies for managing injured workers with concussion-related impairments. Interventions should address patient impairments specific to oculomotor exercises, vestibulo-ocular reflex integration, canalith repositioning maneuvers, balance reintegration, and endurance training.

3. Graduated Activity Integration

This chapter will introduce concepts of exertion therapy and creating an individualized therapy program to progress the patient toward return-to-work goals. We will address patient progression through each phase of rehabilitation and provide insight into aerobic, exercise, and functional components. Finally, we will provide an understanding of how a patient should be progressed safely through the phases based on presentation and gains in functional activity tolerance.