Allan (23) picked up two concussions last year while playing for Otago and ended his season early.
He was picked in the Highlanders wider training squad for the 2015 season, but was badly concussed in the first pre-season game of the year in late January and has not played since.
Allan said yesterday he was now pretty much close to being symptom-free.
He had got rid of the headaches and was now just waiting to get back on to the field.
He said sitting down with Highlanders doctor Greg Macleod and mapping out a plan to come back from the concussions helped him remain positive.
It has been agreed with Macleod, Allan will rest for the remainder of this year with an aim of getting on to the field in 2016.
Allan was knocked out badly against Counties-Manukau in a Ranfurly Shield challenge in Pukekohe in August last year and then had two weeks off.
''I just went into a ruck and their winger came in and I got a bang to the back of my head from his knee. I was on the ground out cold for about five to 10 seconds,'' he said.
That was followed up by a nasty head knock against Waikato a month later which put a full stop in his 2015 season.
Allan said when he was concussed in the pre-season game against the Crusaders, it took a while to get over it.
''That one was quite bad. I was spewing and feeling awful. For the first month after that, I basically didn't do anything. If I tried to do some exercise, I would start feeling a bit sick, nauseous and started getting headaches.''
His health had slowly improved but the real test for Allan would be when he got out on the field next year.
Allan, who hails from Kaitangata, said he never thought he would give up the game.
''Because I had such a good plan with Greg [Macleod], I knew what was happening all that time. And they have good plans round for life after rugby. Lots of courses and that you can do.
''I have a real passion to work in the police and that is what I want to do.''
