Concussion and traumatic brain injury

Recovering from a brain injury takes a team. As part of your team, we want you to be as informed and prepared as possible. Read through your condition below to get a better understanding of your condition and how we'll treat it.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) undeniably changes your life. A concussion is a type of TBI. Getting skilled and immediate medical care can drastically improve your recovery. Spectrum Health is the only provider in West Michigan to be recognized at the highest national level of trauma care. We hope you never need it, but if you do, there is comfort in knowing that we're ready with our trauma team and brain surgeons 24 hours a day. 

Traumatic brain injury is caused by a physical impact to the head that impairs normal brain function. Traumatic brain injury describes an array of mild-to-severe injuries and their associated symptoms and disabilities: loss of motor skills, speech or vision. In Michigan, 30 percent of TBIs are caused by car accidents. Beyond trauma care and rehab, we also offer long-term care to maximize recovery for severe injuries.

Traumatic brain injury is a serious and life-changing event unlike any other type of trauma. Our team of brain-injury specialists uses the newest available technology to diagnose and monitor the affected area(s) of the brain. This is the first step to identifying the best way to treat your brain injury. 

We also know that follow-up to retrain your brain is important to helping you regain your fullest recovery. Once your medical treatment is determined and under way we'll team you up with the ideal rehabilitation team to guide your healing process. 

Our neurosurgeons and other specialists are among the best in the country. We bring you the most medically advanced treatments and rehab programs to give you the best chance at a successful recovery. Learn more about how we treat traumatic brain injury here.

Concussions are a common sports injury. You can also get a concussion from a blow to the head from a falling object or hitting your head from a fall. Early recognition, evaluation and treatment can prevent serious complications, and help with long-term healing. Our concussion team brings together a medical doctor, neuropsychologist and athletic trainers. We also offer baseline testing that may benefit athletes who may be at risk. 

Treatment may include testing your strength, balance, reflexes and memory. Learn about treatments for concussion, and how they can help you, here.

Balance training may be needed after a concussion, especially if you feel dizzy when standing or your agility is impaired. We work to improve balance, functional mobility and other symptoms caused by your concussion.