Cottage Concussion Clinic

Cottage Concussion Clinic

Contact Us

Our clinic welcomes athletes from Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties. To schedule an appointment with the Cottage Concussion Clinic, please call 805-879-4240.

The Cottage Concussion Clinic is a program that provides care for children and youth participating in contact sports. As our region’s referral center and safety-net provider, Cottage Concussion Clinic provides specialty pediatric concussion management throughout the Tri-Counties. Led by Stephen Kaminski, MD, our clinic is also staffed by a nurse practitioner experienced in treating concussions.

What is a Concussion?

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or another injury that jars or shakes the brain inside the skull. Although there may be cuts or bruises on the head or face, there may be no other visible signs of a brain injury.

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What is a Concussion?

Concussion Clinic - Heads Up - Eye Exam

Learn more about concussion causes

Signs & Symptoms

Concussion Clinic - Heads Up - Signs and Symptoms

Learn more about the signs and symptoms of a concussion

Testing Services

Concussion Clinic Heads Up Testing

Learn more about concussion testing services

State Law and Athletic Guidelines

California state laws passed in recent years mandate that minimum concussion standards be followed by coaches and players at public or private schools. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), the governing body for athletic programs for all high schools in the state, has adopted the guidelines.

Under the new protocol, coaches are required to complete an online concussion education course and distribute educational material to parents. If a coach suspects a concussion, the player must leave the field and cannot return to play until released to do so by a licensed healthcare professional experienced in treating concussions.

There is no same day return to play. If a concussion is diagnosed, the healthcare professional oversees the return-to-play plan.

AB-2007 Youth Athletics: Youth Sports Organizations: Concussions or Other Head Injuries

AB-2127 Interscholastic Sports: Full-Contact Football practices: Concussions and Head Injuries

Concussion Fast Facts

  • Approximate percentage of head injuries that are concussions.
  • Emergency room visits have doubled for concussions in children and adolescents ages 8 to 13.
  • Concussions have risen 200 percent among teens ages 14 to 19 in the last decade.
  • Boys who play football are 75% at risk for a concussion.
  • Girls who play soccer have a 50% chance for a concussion.

Children, adolescents and adults are at risk for a concussion
 in sports, recreational activities or from falls. Youths who have already had a concussion are at higher risk for subsequent ones.

The most common sport for a concussion risk is football for males and soccer for females.

Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics, The Sports Conduction Institute, Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Free Baseline Concussion Testing

Cottage Concussion Clinic

Baseline concussion testing will be offered in our Ventura Clinic on select Fridays for student athletes enrolled in Fall sports. These tests are a preventative measure that can help identify a concussion in the future.

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Watch and Learn

Concussion YouTube Video - Dr. Stephen KaminskiSports Related Brain Injury and Concussion - Stephen Kaminski, MD, the Medical Director of Trauma Services at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital discusses sports related brain injuries and what is being done to treat concussions.

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Safe Kids Santa Barbara County

Safe Kids Santa Barbara County

Cottage Health is proud to be a coalition of Safe Kids World Wide. Our local coalition, known as Safe Kids Santa Barbara County, shares the mission of keeping ALL children safe from preventable injuries.

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Continued Care

Cottage Health Santa Barbara Neuroscience Institute

If needed, the Santa Barbara Neuroscience Institute at Cottage Health is available for the continuum of care.