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After a Concussion: Why Dizziness, Headaches, and Neck Pain Can Linger—and What to Do Next
A concussion can be confusing—not just medically, but emotionally. Symptoms can be inconsistent: you feel better one day and worse the next, especially after screens, activity, or poor sleep. And for many people, the symptoms that linger the longest are dizziness, headaches, and neck pain.
Medical guidance matters after a concussion. This article is here to help you understand common patterns and what “next steps” often look like when symptoms don’t resolve as quickly as you expected—especially when the neck is involved.
What a concussion is…
A concussion is a type of mild traumatic brain injury. It can happen after a hit to the head, a fall, a sports impact, or any force that causes the brain to move quickly inside the skull. You do not have to lose consciousness to have a concussion.
A concussion can affect how your brain processes information, how your body handles stimulation (like light and noise), and how your nervous system regulates energy and balance. That’s why symptoms can feel both physical and mental.
Common symptoms and typical timelines.
Concussion symptoms vary, but many people experience some combination of headaches, dizziness or balance issues, sensitivity to light or sound, fatigue, brain fog, irritability, sleep disruption, and neck pain.
A lot of people improve noticeably within a few days to a few weeks. But some recover more slowly, especially if there’s a history of prior concussions, migraine patterns, high stress, poor sleep, or neck strain from the injury. Slow recovery doesn’t mean you’re “broken.” It usually means you need a more structured plan, and often a closer look at contributing systems like the neck, vision, and balance pathways.
Why neck strain often accompanies concussion.
Here’s a key point people miss: many concussions include a whiplash-like mechanism, even if there wasn’t a car accident. The head moves suddenly, and the neck has to absorb that force.
If the neck is irritated, stiff, or guarded, it can contribute to symptoms that feel “brain-related,” including headaches (especially near the base of the skull), a “floaty” or off-balance feeling, symptoms that flare with head movement, and poor tolerance to screens or prolonged sitting.
This is one reason some people keep getting symptoms even after they’ve “rested.” The brain is recovering, but the neck injury component may still be driving irritation and sensitivity.
Dizziness and balance issues: common patterns
Post-concussion dizziness is common and it can come from more than one system. Some people have inner ear (vestibular) irritation. Others have visual tracking issues (the eyes and brain aren’t coordinating smoothly yet). Some have a neck-based balance component, because the neck provides constant feedback to the brain about head position. And some experience dizziness simply from fatigue, deconditioning, or nervous-system overload. Because the “why” can differ, the best plan can differ too. That’s why random exercises online can help one person and frustrate another. Getting a targeted assessment can save a lot of time.
Where a neck-focused upper cervical evaluation may fit.
If you’re dealing with lingering headaches, dizziness, and neck pain, a neck-focused evaluation may be a helpful part of a broader recovery plan – especially if symptoms flare with posture, head movement, or sustained sitting.
Upper cervical chiropractic focuses on the top two bones in the neck (C1 and C2). This area supports the head and plays a major role in head position and how the body adapts to stress. If C1/C2 are misaligned after an injury, it may disrupt nerve communication between the brain and body. Since the nervous system controls every function in the body, that can affect how you feel and how well you recover, especially when the pattern includes neck tension, headaches, and dizziness.
Upper cervical care is a natural, conservative approach. The goal is not forceful twisting. It’s a precise evaluation and gentle correction to support the body’s ability to heal.