Many things can cause traumatic brain injury, from motor vehicle crashes, bicycle accidents, falls, sports injuries, and more. However, suffering a brain injury can affect you behaviorally, emotionally, and physically, which can have a devastating impact on your life. You should seek immediate medical attention whether you’ve suffered a mild, moderate, or severe brain injury. This can help you get a proper diagnosis and treatment to reduce or eliminate specific emotional, physical, and cognitive issues related to traumatic brain injuries.
The best thing is that there are many treatment options for traumatic brain injury patients that can help them recover and improve their quality of life. The appropriate treatment will largely depend on the severity of your injuries and the part of your brain injured. If another person’s negligence caused your injury, consider hiring a brain injury lawyer to help you identify your damages and seek maximum compensation. Getting a just settlement can go a long way in helping you pay for your medical care and recover from your injuries. In this article, we’ll look at some of the best therapy options available to you after you’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury:
Physical and occupational therapy
Physical therapy is one of the most effective treatments after a traumatic brain injury. This treatment focuses on rebuilding physical strength, coordination, balance, and flexibility. It also works to increase blood flow to the brain to provide it with the nutrients it needs to heal and function properly. On the other hand, occupational therapy helps you relearn how to perform everyday tasks, like cooking, bathing, toileting, and getting dressed.
After you’ve become better at everyday tasks, your therapist will help you relearn higher-level skills like medication management, shopping, and finances. They will also help you work on your cognitive skills to live independently.
Speech therapy
Brain injuries are also known to cause problems with speech and swallowing. As such, you should get speech therapy immediately if your brain injury leads to aphasia, cognitive deficits, or other communication disorders. Seeking treatment early enough is crucial since it will increase your chances of recovery. Speech therapy helps improve your communication skills by utilizing special communication devices.
Your speech therapist also walks you through various therapy activities to improve your language skills and help with swallowing problems like dysphagia. They also can help you work on your socializing and conversation skills by teaching you how to listen and respond appropriately, pay attention, and improve your voice pitch and volume.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy
This is another excellent treatment option that you should consider, especially if your traumatic brain injury affects you emotionally or behaviorally. Cognitive-behavioural therapy is one of the most effective psychotherapy treatments for treating various disorders, including emotional and behavioural issues associated with brain injury.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy helps address behavioural and emotional issues by uncovering unhealthy thinking patterns. For instance, if you suffer from anxiety problems after a traumatic brain injury, your therapist works with you to identify thoughts that trigger your anxiety and teach you different techniques to stop them. In addition, they’ll help improve your cognitive skills like attention, goal-setting, planning, memory, and so on, which is a crucial part of any brain injury treatment plan.
Endnote
The abilities and needs after a traumatic brain injury are different from person to person. Your therapist will develop a custom rehabilitation programme specifically for you. Your therapy program will also likely change as your abilities and needs change. Knowing the various treatment options available can ensure you get the best treatment after suffering a traumatic brain injury, helping you recover faster from your injuries and live independently. Be sure to work with an experienced attorney to help you seek the compensation you need to pay for your medical treatment and rehabilitation therapy.
Ellen Diamond did her degree in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. She is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.
