A traumatic brain injury is often diagnosed in a hospital setting by a neurologist that has completed a full assessment of the brain and the cranial nerves associated with functioning of the head and neck. Once it has been established that an individual has sustained a traumatic brain injury, and what the severity of that injury is, a treatment plan is established to allow the brain to recover. A brain injury takes longer to heal than injuries to bones or tendons; the brain is made up of neural pathways that heal much slower than other parts of the body. A brain injury can take months and years to heal, and even with that amount of time, some of those neural pathways can never recover.
Treatment of traumatic brain injury
Following a brain injury, there are many options that can be used to treat the injury. Depending on the severity of the brain injury, multiple different teams of therapists, doctors and specialists may be involved during the recovery process.
In the initial stages of the injury, a patient is assessed frequently for changes and improvement. Neurologist, surgeons, eye specialists, and trauma physicians may be the original team following a brain injury. As an individual moves from the acute (early) phase of the injury, and they become more medically stable, the team may add therapists that work with the patient to regain skills that may have been lost following the injury; relearning to eat, get dressed, read, write and walk is usually treated by a team of physical, occupational and speech therapists. This team works together to improve the daily skills of someone with a brain injury.
Medical treatment may also involve other treatments including oxygen treatment, specialty medications, water/pool therapy and mental health support. Because each injury is different, an individual treatment plan is created for each person based on their injury and what their needs are as they begin the recovery process.
Medications for traumatic brain injury
During the process immediately following a brain injury, there may be countless medications used to treat the injuries and to improve the recovery outcome of the injury. Some individuals arrive at the hospital in a critical condition, and need surgery or immediate medical intervention with medications to save their life and to help preserve the brain from having further damage. These medications and treatments are considered life saving procedures.
There are many groups and classes of medications that may be used during the recovery process – medications for pain, sleep, muscle relaxers, and medications for anxiety or depression are a few. As each person recovers, medications may be changes frequently to meet the new needs of the patient as they recover. The treatment team reviews medication and treatments frequently to ensure that as they patient improves that medications are modified along the way.
Traumatic brain injuries are different for each and every patient. Clinical teams form treatment plans for each person with a severe brain injury to meet their specific needs for recovery. Each recovery process is different, and recovery can be a slow process.
Treatment of traumatic brain injury
Following a brain injury, there are many options that can be used to treat the injury. Depending on the severity of the brain injury, multiple different teams of therapists, doctors and specialists may be involved during the recovery process.
In the initial stages of the injury, a patient is assessed frequently for changes and improvement. Neurologist, surgeons, eye specialists, and trauma physicians may be the original team following a brain injury. As an individual moves from the acute (early) phase of the injury, and they become more medically stable, the team may add therapists that work with the patient to regain skills that may have been lost following the injury; relearning to eat, get dressed, read, write and walk is usually treated by a team of physical, occupational and speech therapists. This team works together to improve the daily skills of someone with a brain injury.
Medical treatment may also involve other treatments including oxygen treatment, specialty medications, water/pool therapy and mental health support. Because each injury is different, an individual treatment plan is created for each person based on their injury and what their needs are as they begin the recovery process.
Medications for traumatic brain injury
During the process immediately following a brain injury, there may be countless medications used to treat the injuries and to improve the recovery outcome of the injury. Some individuals arrive at the hospital in a critical condition, and need surgery or immediate medical intervention with medications to save their life and to help preserve the brain from having further damage. These medications and treatments are considered life saving procedures.
There are many groups and classes of medications that may be used during the recovery process – medications for pain, sleep, muscle relaxers, and medications for anxiety or depression are a few. As each person recovers, medications may be changes frequently to meet the new needs of the patient as they recover. The treatment team reviews medication and treatments frequently to ensure that as they patient improves that medications are modified along the way.
Traumatic brain injuries are different for each and every patient. Clinical teams form treatment plans for each person with a severe brain injury to meet their specific needs for recovery. Each recovery process is different, and recovery can be a slow process.
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