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Therapists Involved In Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation

Traumatic brain injury usually occurs if a person meets an accident. It restricts the cognitive abilities of the patient, and he/she goes through a stage where they find it difficult to have emotional control, face sensory problems, physical issues, and poor thought processing. However, with the help of traumatic brain injury rehabilitation, the patient can recover quickly and gain his/her senses and cognitive power.

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Rehabilitation team

Usually, the rehabilitation care team comprises of highly-trained practitioners, also known as the multidisciplinary team. This team will work together every week to discuss the treatment and recovery of the patient. They will consider updating their rehabilitation program according to the response and health condition of the patients brain. Some of the members of this team and their role are:

Rehabilitation nurse

The rehabilitation nurse will be in charge of different duties like assessing mobility, nutrition, bladder function, and self-care activities. He/she will educate you and your family about the medications and rehab programs that the patient needs to complete to get well soon.

Physiatrist

A physiatrist is an expert in rehabilitation medicine. Along with physical activities, the patient also needs to take regular medication so that his/her body can support the rehab program. The physiatrist will evaluate the thinking, behavior, and physical abilities of the patient. Depending on the condition of the patient, he/she will prescribe medication that can manage sleep, pain, mood, and nutrition better. The physiatrist also recommends tailor-made therapies like occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy.

Occupational therapist

The occupational therapist has a lot to do to help recover the patient quickly. They provide training so that the patient becomes more independent. Some of the activities that his/her program will include are dressing, grooming, bathing, eating, etc. He/she will also work along with the patient to improve their trunk control, balance, and strength. Occupational therapists also assess visual problems, progress in reasoning and judgment, concentration, attention, memory, calculation, and several other cognitive functions.

Recreation therapist

Once the patient responds to the occupational rehab program, the recreation therapist will try to bring some recreational resources. This will enable the patient to do what he/she usually likes when they are outdoors, such as canoeing, horse riding, or hill climbing. Some recreation therapists also focus on group activities and community services too.

With an entire team working to help the patient recover quickly, it is only a matter of time before you notice progress in their brain improvement.

Acquired Brain Injury (abi) Rehabilitation And Therapy

What Is An Acquired Brain Injury?

An acquired brain injury (ABI) is any trauma that is caused to the brain not resulting from a congenital or degenerative health condition. In other words, it is the result of an external or internal event that results in trauma to the brain.

A stroke or brain aneurysm are both internal causes of an ABI. Injury to the head from an accident, fall or other damage that results in injury to the brain is also an ABI.

What Are The Symptoms For ABI?

An ABI can have mild to severe consequences and can have both physical and cognitive consequences either in the short or long-term.

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Cognitive symptoms of an ABI may include:

- Impaired focus, concentration and short attention span. - Reduced memory either short or long-term. - Diminished ability to communicate due to impaired speech and language processes. - Impairment of processing visual and aural stimuli. - Bad or poor judgement. - Difficulty in executing tasks.

Physical symptoms of ABI may include:

- Impaired fine and gross motor skill. - Lack of coordination. - Muscle weakness or paralysis. - Mild to extreme persistent headaches. - Tremors or shaking. - Seizures. - Sleep disorders such as insomnia or physical and mental lethargy. - Photosensitivity or sensitivity to light.

Symptoms may vary according to the severity, location of the injury and other factors related to the traumatic event that caused the ABI. Rehabilitation and therapy may therefore vary depending on individual cases.

What Is The Treatment For ABI?

ABI requires a multidisciplinary approach meaning that a diverse set of interventions are necessary in order to effectively rehabilitate a patient to restore physical and cognitive function. Rehabilitation is commonly more effective in mild to moderate brain trauma cases than where severe or extensive trauma to the brain has occurred.

Pharmaceutical treatment to restore brain function may be the first course of action. The second phase of treatment may involve integrated therapy as soon as a patient is deemed to be medically fit. This treatment phase is normally performed in hospital and involves occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and language therapy as well as neuropsychology.

The third phase of treatment is on an out-patient basis and may involve additional forms of therapy than those included in the second phase. Studies have shown evidence that out-patient treatment is necessary to maintain and continue results and that additional therapies integrated with medical approaches are far more effective.

Outdoor activities and alternative therapies integrated into a rehabilitation programme have been proven to provide better results in the long-term than stand-alone therapies that target a specific symptom of the ABI.