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Clinical Guidelines

The guidelines behind our concussion care.

Go Clinic's care model draws on published clinical practice guidelines and consensus statements for concussion and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Here is what each one covers, what it recommends, and how it shows up in your care.

What the guidelines agree on

Guidelines summarize the best available evidence; they don't replace clinical judgment. Your clinicians apply them to your history, symptoms and goals. Where the guidelines differ, we say so below.

01

Brief rest, then active recovery

A short period of relative rest — about 24–48 hours — then a gradual return to everyday activity and light exercise as symptoms allow, instead of prolonged rest.

ONF Amsterdam CDC
02

Clear information from day one

Most people recover fully within weeks. Knowing what to expect, which warning signs matter and how to pace activity is part of treatment.

NASEM ONF CDC
03

Treatment matched to symptoms

Headache, sleep, mood, dizziness, vision, thinking and neck pain are assessed and treated by type — for example, vestibular rehabilitation for dizziness and clinician-directed cognitive rehabilitation for memory and attention.

NASEM ONF VA/DoD Amsterdam
04

Specialized care when symptoms persist

When symptoms last beyond about a month, the guidelines advise a fuller assessment and referral to clinicians with concussion expertise, ideally working as an interdisciplinary team.

NASEM ONF Amsterdam
05

A planned return to work, school & sport

Return happens step by step, with accommodations where needed, and the pace is adjusted if symptoms flare.

ONF Amsterdam CDC
06

Diagnosis is clinical

Concussion is diagnosed from the history and examination. Imaging and other tests are ordered when specific findings call for them, and a normal scan does not rule out a concussion.

NASEM VA/DoD ACRM

The guidelines, one by one

NASEM

Action Collaborative on TBI Care — Adapted Clinical Practice Guideline

Convened under the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine · Annals of Family Medicine 2025;23(6):552–569

Adults with a traumatic brain injury who did not need hospital care, or could care for themselves at discharge — the first U.S. guideline written for outpatient follow-up. Built from 18 existing guidelines, including the ONF, VA/DoD, Concussion in Sport Group and CDC guidelines on this page.

Highlights

  • Confirm the diagnosis, decide whether emergency evaluation is needed, and request imaging or neuropsychological assessment when indicated.
  • At the first visit, assess the risk of persistent symptoms, give guidance on returning to usual activities, and educate the patient and family.
  • Prioritize which symptoms to target first; start treatment for post-traumatic headache; screen for and treat mental health conditions; decide if and when to refer to specialty care.
All 11 priority topics & details →
ONF

Living Concussion Guideline for Adults (ONF)

Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation guideline, now maintained as a living guideline · 3rd edition 2018 · sections updated since 2022

Adults with concussion or mild TBI, including symptoms that last longer than expected. Written for primary care and rehabilitation clinicians. Its 3rd edition was funded by the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation; it is now kept online as a "living" guideline, and each section is revised as new evidence is published.

Highlights

  • Tell patients that most people recover fully within about a month, and give the information in writing as well as in person.
  • After a brief rest of 24–48 hours, return gradually to everyday activity — including work or school — as symptoms allow. A mild, short-lived rise in symptoms is common; if it is more than mild or lasts, slow the pace.
  • Consider referral to interdisciplinary concussion services when symptoms last more than one month.
All 8 key recommendations & details →
VA/DoD

VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Mild TBI

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs & Department of Defense · Version 3.0 · June 2021

Adults with symptoms attributed to mild TBI after the acute phase. Written for VA and military health care, with 19 graded recommendations.

Highlights

  • Care is symptom-focused: each symptom — headache, sleep, dizziness, thinking, mood — is assessed and treated directly. Some people with persistent symptoms and co-occurring conditions may benefit from an individualized plan built by an interdisciplinary team.
  • Diagnosis is clinical; imaging and other tests are ordered when specific findings call for them.
  • If new symptoms appear more than 30 days after the injury, look for causes other than the mild TBI.
All 6 key recommendations & details →
Amsterdam

Amsterdam Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport

Concussion in Sport Group · British Journal of Sports Medicine · Published 2023 · Br J Sports Med 57:695–711

Sport-related concussion in adolescents and adults. The sixth international consensus statement of the Concussion in Sport Group, based on 10 systematic reviews. It introduced the SCAT6 sideline tool and the office-based SCOAT6.

Highlights

  • Light activity such as walking is fine in the first 24–48 hours if it does not more than mildly worsen symptoms; after that, return to physical activity as tolerated while avoiding any risk of contact, collision or falls.
  • Aerobic exercise kept below the symptom threshold and started 2–10 days after injury reduces the chance of persisting symptoms, and also helps people whose symptoms last longer than a month.
  • Reduce screen time in the first 48 hours; limiting it beyond that may not help.
All 7 key recommendations & details →
CDC

CDC Pediatric mTBI Guideline & HEADS UP

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · 2018 · JAMA Pediatrics

Children and teens with mild TBI — the first U.S. evidence-based guideline for this age group, with 19 sets of recommendations. HEADS UP is the CDC's concussion education program for health care providers, schools, coaches and families.

Highlights

  • Diagnosis is clinical; validated decision rules identify the few children who need imaging.
  • Use validated, age-appropriate symptom scales, and look for risk factors for a longer recovery.
  • Give families clear information about warning signs, symptom monitoring and the expected course of recovery.
All 5 key recommendations & details →

Professional organizations

Other organizations in concussion care, and what each one contributes.

AMSSM

American Medical Society for Sports Medicine

Position Statement on Concussion in Sport · 2019 · Br J Sports Med 53:213–225

The sports medicine physicians' statement on concussion: diagnosis and management of acute and persistent symptoms, the short- and long-term risks of concussion and repeated head impacts, and prevention. An athlete with a concussion stays out of practice and play until symptoms have resolved.

Br J Sports Med (doi)

ACRM

American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine

Diagnostic Criteria for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury · 2023 · Arch Phys Med Rehabil 104:1343–1355

One set of criteria for diagnosing mild TBI at any age and in sports, civilian and military settings, built from evidence reviews and an expert consensus process. They combine clinical signs, symptoms after the injury, exam findings and, when available, imaging or blood tests. Normal brain imaging does not rule out mild TBI, and "concussion" may be used interchangeably with "mild TBI" when imaging is normal or not needed.

Arch Phys Med Rehabil (doi)

AAN

American Academy of Neurology

Evaluation and management of concussion in sports (guideline, now retired) · 2013 · Neurology 80:2250–2257

The professional society for U.S. neurologists. Its 2013 evidence-based guideline on sports concussion has since been retired by the Academy. Its core message — an athlete with a suspected concussion is removed from play and not returned until assessed by a licensed clinician trained in concussion — is shared by the newer statements on this page.

Neurology (doi)

BIAA

Brain Injury Association of America

Education, advocacy and support · Helpline 1-800-444-6443

A national nonprofit for people living with brain injury and their families. It does not publish clinical guidelines; it offers education and support, runs a national helpline, and trains professionals through the Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS) program.

biausa.org

Summaries on this page are paraphrased for general information — see each source for its exact wording and full recommendations. Go Clinic is not affiliated with, and has not been reviewed or endorsed by, any organization named here. Last updated October 2026. This page is not medical advice, and Go Clinic's telehealth services are not for emergencies — after a head injury, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for a worsening or severe headache, repeated vomiting, seizure, slurred speech, weakness or numbness, unusual drowsiness or confusion, or any loss of consciousness.

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