From rehabilitation to performance: reframing vestibular-ocular interventions to optimise sports performance

Abstract

Returning athletes to their preinjury performance level is a central tenet of modern sports medicine.Efficient integration of vision, balance, proprioception and motor response is fundamental not only for performance optimisation but also for injury prevention. 1 Consequently, vestibular-ocular motor assessments have become a cornerstone of sport-related concussion management, used to identify impairment, monitor recovery and guide return-to-play decisions.This practice addresses the high prevalence of gaze instability, visual motion intolerance and impaired eye-head coordination postconcussion, which are associated with significant symptom burden and prolonged recovery.