Recovering From Brain Trauma

Brain trauma injury recovery can range from being an immediate recovery or never reaching full recovery. However, most traumatic brain injury patients recover within the first six months after the injury. Recovery in rehabilitation is rated by the Rancho Los Amigos Scale, which correlates the level of response to the amount of assistance needed. Depending on the severity and location of the brain trauma, patients will find a combination of different rehabilitation methods helpful in their recovery. Throughout the process, patients will find they will require less assistance to perform daily tasks and will begin to regain their independence.

Physical Therapy

• Some traumatic brain injury patients will experience difficulty with limb movement, walking or balance. As part of physical therapy, patients will undergo a variety of different strengthening, movement and balance trainings. Types of physical therapy include range-of-motion training, weight-bearing training, sitting balance training, gait training and strength training. The level of intensity will also depend on the patient's strength and durability.

Occupational Therapy

• Occupational therapy is targeted to patients whose independence has been compromised because of their injury. Patients will go through rehabilitation training to relearn how to go grocery shopping, take care of their house and other necessary daily tasks. Sometimes, occupational therapy is done with physical therapy.

Speech Therapy

• For patients whose speech was compromised by the traumatic brain injury, speech therapy is recommended. Speech therapy will work on forming phonemes and speaking clearly. Depending on how much their speech has been affected, the intensity of therapy will vary.

Neuropsychological Therapy

• As memory and attention problems are both symptoms of brain injury, neuropsychological therapy is used to address both memory and attention issues. One example of a test used in neuropsychological therapy is the "Towers of Hanoi" test, where the patient must stack rings in specific order. Traumatic brain injury patients repeat moves on the test when they lose focus or forget their previous moves. As therapy continues, patients will be able to complete the Towers of Hanoi test with less errors.

Social Support

• One of the most important tools in recovery is social support from other survivors of brain trauma. Many hospitals offer support groups for patients and their caregivers that meet on a monthly basis. There are also hotlines and websites for those who cannot make it to a meeting. Most services are free and provide more information for patients and their families.