Intensive concussion treatment combines several kinds of therapy into full days over one or two weeks. Weekly therapy spreads one or two sessions a week over months. For symptoms that last longer than four weeks, a 2021 guideline in JAMA Network Open, 2021 recommends treatment tailored to the person, including interdisciplinary rehabilitation, based on 19 randomized trials with 2,007 participants.
Short answer: start with weekly therapy if your injury is recent or you have one or two main symptoms. Consider an intensive program when symptoms have lasted three months or more, affect several systems, and weekly care has stalled.
Still stuck after weekly therapy?
Find out if an intensive week fits your injury
Short paperwork and a free consult, both from home. Our clinical team reviews your history and gives you a straight answer before you book travel.
- Freepaperwork and consult
- 1 or 2weeks in Provo, Utah
- $1,500scan first, credited toward treatment
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Takes about 10 minutes. Prefer to talk? Call (385) 375-8590.
Which one sounds like you?
All sections on this page
What is the difference between intensive and weekly concussion therapy?
The difference is how much therapy you get, how close together, and whether your providers work from one plan. Weekly care fits around your life at home. An intensive program pauses your life for a week or two and puts every discipline in one place.
Side by side
Weekly therapy and an intensive program, compared
| Weekly therapy | Intensive program at Cognitive FX |
|---|
| Schedule | 1 or 2 sessions a week for weeks or months | Full days for 1 or 2 weeks, then a home program |
|---|
| Providers | Often several offices, each treating one symptom | Cognitive, physical, occupational, vestibular and vision therapy in one building |
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| Plan | Each provider usually keeps their own | One plan built from a functional MRI scan, reviewed at the end of each day |
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| Where | Close to home | Provo, Utah. Most patients fly in |
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| Insurance | Usually billed to insurance | Out-of-network; superbill provided |
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| Cost to you | Copays and deductibles per visit | $13,000 for one week, $24,700 for two |
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| Often best for | Recent injuries; one or two main symptoms | Symptoms 3+ months after injury across several systems, after standard care |
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General comparison. Weekly programs vary, so ask any clinic about its schedule, team and costs.
When is weekly therapy the better choice?
Weekly therapy is the right first step for most people. It is close to home, usually billed to insurance, and leaves time to rest between sessions.
- Your injury was less than three months ago. Many people recover with time, graded activity and local care. We usually turn down injuries this recent.
- You have one or two main symptoms. Dizziness often responds to a vestibular physical therapist. Neck pain often responds to physical therapy.
- You are improving. If each month is better than the last, keep going.
- You cannot travel right now. Weekly care can still help while you plan.
The 2021 guideline gave weak recommendations for graded exercise, vestibular rehabilitation, neck and back treatment, and psychological treatment, which are all things a good local team can provide. Our guide to concussion rehabilitation covers each one.
When does an intensive program make more sense?
An intensive program makes more sense when weekly care has been tried and the symptoms are still there months or years later. Among 6,654 people who asked Cognitive FX for help between October 2024 and October 2026, 49% had already seen three or more kinds of providers, and 53% of those who gave an injury date were more than a year past it.
Three things change in an intensive format:
- Volume. At home, one or two sessions a week is often the ceiling. At Cognitive FX, treatment days run about 9 to 5 with rest built in.
- Coordination. Each specialist in the usual referral path treats one piece. In an intensive program, every therapist works from the same scan results and reviews progress together each day.
- Measurement. Our program starts with an fNCI functional MRI scan that measures activity in 56 brain regions during cognitive tasks, and a second scan at the end of the week measures what changed. fNCI is a measurement tool, not a stand-alone diagnosis.
Does this sound like you?
An intensive program may fit if
- Your concussion was 3 or more months ago and symptoms still limit work, school or daily life
- You have several symptoms at once, such as brain fog, fatigue, headaches, dizziness and screen trouble
- You have tried weekly therapy, rest or medication, and progress stalled
- Your scans came back normal, but you know something is still wrong
Check whether an intensive week makes sense for you.
Book my free consult
This list is not a diagnosis. Our clinical team reviews every answer.
How do we decide between one week and two?
We decide in two steps. On your free consult, our clinical team recommends one week or two based on your history. Your fNCI scan on the first morning can change that recommendation before therapy starts.
We look at:
- How long it has been since your injury
- How many head injuries you have had
- Your age
- How severe the injury was
- How many symptoms you have, and whether they are getting better or worse
- Your overall physical fitness
One week is five treatment days for $13,000. Two weeks is ten treatment days for $24,700. We explain the reasoning on your consult, before you book travel.
What does the research say?
No published trial has compared intensive and weekly formats head to head for lasting concussion symptoms. The studies that exist look at coordinated, multi-discipline care.
- Guideline, 2021. A Danish guideline panel reviewed 19 randomized trials (2,007 people) and recommended individually tailored treatment for symptoms lasting more than four weeks, including interdisciplinary rehabilitation. The certainty of evidence was very low to low. (JAMA Network Open, 2021)
- Randomized trial, 2019. 89 adults with symptoms lasting over six months were assigned either a 22-week interdisciplinary program or usual municipal care. The program group reported fewer symptoms right after treatment and at follow-up. That program was spread over months, so it tests coordination more than intensity. (Brain Injury, 2019)
- Three-week intensive outpatient program, 2026. 128 veterans and first responders with lasting symptoms after a past brain injury improved across several measures after the program. There was no control group. (Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 2026)
- Cognitive FX, 2024. Independent researchers at Amsterdam UMC and UMC Groningen followed our patients. 77% of the 52 measured six months after treatment had a clinically meaningful reduction in symptoms. The study was observational, not randomized, and individual results vary. (Tijdschrift voor Neuropsychologie, 2024)
What are the downsides of each option?
Weekly therapy mostly costs time. An intensive program mostly costs money and travel.
Weekly therapy
- Progress can take months, with time off work for each appointment.
- Providers often work in separate offices without one shared plan.
- Copays add up over many visits, and some plans cap therapy visits each year.
An intensive program
- The cost is paid up front and is out-of-network.
- You travel to Provo, Utah, and take one or two weeks away from work, school and family.
- The treatment days are hard by design, with rest breaks built in.
- There is usually a wait of about six weeks from your consult to your treatment week.
- You still need to do a home program afterward to keep your progress.
How do the costs compare?
Weekly therapy usually costs a copay or coinsurance per visit after your deductible, so the total depends on your plan and how many months you go. An intensive week at Cognitive FX has one published price:
- fNCI scan: $1,500, credited toward treatment if you continue within six months.
- One week: $13,000, everything included.
- Two weeks: $24,700, for complex or long-standing cases.
Travel and lodging are separate. We are out-of-network and provide a superbill you can submit to your insurer; reimbursement varies by plan and is not guaranteed. HSA, FSA, CareCredit and payment plans of 12 to 36 months are available. Full details are on our pricing page, and our travel guide covers flights and hotels.
What happens after an intensive week?
You leave Provo with a home program built from your scan and video follow-ups with our team over the next two to three months. Recovery usually continues after the week, with dips along the way. Patients who skip the home program keep less of their progress. In the independent Dutch study, group-level improvements were still present six months after treatment.
Next steps
How to find out if an intensive week fits
- PaperworkAbout 10 minutes, from home.
- Free consultOur clinical team reviews your history and tells you if we can help.
- Your weekTypically about six weeks after your consult, in Provo, Utah.
- Home programVideo follow-ups with our team for the next 2 to 3 months.
Book my free consult See prices
Questions first? Call (385) 375-8590.
Related reading: what happens during EPIC treatment, how to choose a concussion clinic, and patient reviews.
Frequently asked questions
Is intensive concussion treatment better than weekly therapy?
No published trial has compared the two formats head to head. Weekly therapy is usually the right start for a recent injury or one or two main symptoms. An intensive program makes more sense when symptoms have lasted three months or more, affect several systems, and weekly care has stopped helping.
How long is an intensive concussion program?
At Cognitive FX it is one week or two. Our clinical team recommends a length on your free consult, based on time since injury, number of injuries, age, severity, symptoms and fitness, and your first scan can change it. Treatment days run about 9 to 5 with rest breaks, followed by a home program and video follow-ups over the next two to three months.
Does insurance cover intensive concussion treatment?
Cognitive FX is out-of-network. We provide a superbill after treatment that you can submit to your insurer. Reimbursement depends on your plan and is not guaranteed. HSA, FSA, CareCredit and payment plans are accepted.
Should I try weekly therapy first?
If your injury was less than three months ago, yes. Many people recover with time, graded activity and local vestibular or physical therapy. We usually say no to injuries that recent.
