A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head that can change the way your brain normally works. It is very important to have concussions evaluated and treated immediately and comprehensively, especially for children.

If you think you or your child has a concussion and are experiencing symptoms  such as dizziness, trouble thinking or a persistent headache, go to an emergency room immediately. Sutter Emergency Departments can provide screening and refer you to appropriate specialty services as needed.

We also offer several non‐emergency services to help children and adults prevent, screen for and treat concussions.

Sports Medicine Services

Experienced sports medicine experts at Sutter’s five Sports Medicine Clinics can provide professional, amateur and student athletes with concussion assessments and care.

Experts in the Sutter Health network have served as team doctors or consultants to renowned sports teams, including the Oakland A's, Oakland Raiders, Golden State Warriors, San Jose Earthquakes, San Francisco Ballet and USA Olympic teams in Track and Field, National Rugby and Women’s Basketball. We also work with local schools and student athletes to prevent concussions in contact sports.

Concussion Clinics

We provide two specialized concussion clinics at Sutter Neuroscience Institute and Sutter Children's Center, both in Sacramento. The specialized staff at these clinics can help guide your decisions regarding concussion care and recovery.

The Consussion Clinic team includes:

• Adult and child neurologists
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians
• Physical therapists
• Neuropsychologists
• Nurses specializing in neurological care

These experts provide physical evaluations, neuroimaging as needed, neurocognitive assessments (both baseline and post‐injury) and balance testing.

ImPACT Consulting and Community Outreach

As a credentialed consultant with ImPACT (Immediate Post‐Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing), we use ImPACT computerized neurocognitive assessment tools in our clinics and hospitals to assess concussions and make informed recommendations on when it is safe to return to play.

We also use ImPACT in our community outreach. Our Concussion Clinic in Sacramento launched a $100,000 comprehensive education and awareness program using the ImPACT system to teach coaches, players, first responders and parents how to recognize and react to concussion symptoms. This program also includes neurocognitive testing prior to the start of the season to establish a baseline of health that is used to compare to future data, should a concussion occur.