Treatment for Brain Injuries

Treatment and rehabilitation for traumatic brain-injury (TBI) depends on the severity and effects of the brain damage. Mild TBI may require no treatment other than rest, over-the-counter pain relievers, and close monitoring by a physician for any persistent, worsening or new symptoms. Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury may require emergency surgery and intensive care to stabilize the injured person and minimize secondary injury. Surgery Emergency surgery may be needed to prevent or minimi...
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Concussions

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) that alters how the brain functions. Effects are usually temporary, but can include problems with headache, concentration, alertness, memory, judgment, reflexes, speech, balance, coordination, and sleep. What Causes a Concussion? The brain is a soft organ (like gelatin) that is surrounded-by and floats-in cerebrospinal fluid within the skull. Normally, the fluid around the brain acts like a cushion that keeps the brain from banging into the wal...
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Diagnosing a Brain Injury

The effects of traumatic brain injuries can worsen swiftly without treatment, so doctors and other medical personnel need to assess the injury rapidly. Diagnosing a brain injury involves looking for signs of damage to the brain, either through scanning devices like computerized tomography (CT scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs), and X-rays, or through screening-tests and scoring-systems that measure a person’s speech, movement, memory, and thought. Glasgow Coma Scale The Glasgow Coma Scale...
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Classifying a Spinal Cord Injury

A spinal cord injury can be classified by level or by type. The level of injury describes the location of the injury and what parts of the body are affected while the injury type describes the degree of damage. Level of Spinal Cord Injury The level of spinal-cord injury refers to the location along the spinal cord where the injury occurred and also indicates which body parts are most likely to experience a loss of movement and/or sensation. The level of injury is designated by a letter-number ...
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Living with a Spinal Cord Injury

Adjusting to the effects of a spinal cord injury is difficult; in addition to the physical limitations and challenge of learning how to compensate for abilities that have permanently changed, there’s also an emotional and psychological impact from losing independence, having to rely on others for activities of daily living, and suffering from chronic conditions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpn6HtywuZ4 Some of the complications a SCI survivor may experience include loss of control over ...
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