A traumatic brain injury can have a serious impact on a person, affecting their physical and mental abilities and leaving them with significant difficulties in their daily life.
While this can be frightening and upsetting, it is important to realize that with the right medical treatment, care and support, many brain injury patients are able to achieve a significant recovery in time.
How traumatic brain injury recovery works
Depending on the nature and severity of the brain injury, patients may need various types of treatment and care to help them recover. Not all patients will need the same treatment and whether they will make a full or only partial recovery will depend on various factors, making the final outcome hard to predict.
Common treatments for brain injury include:
Neurosurgery โ This may be needed to repair serious wounds, remove blood clots and to alleviate buildup of blood or other fluid in the brain. This can be essential to save the patientโs life in the immediate aftermath of the injury and prevent further damage.
Medication โ Patients may be prescribed a range of medications to help them deal with symptoms caused by their brain injury. This can include things like sleeping pills and epilepsy medication to deal with specific issues related to the injury and can make a significant difference to a patientโs ongoing health and quality of life.
Physical rehabilitation โ This will typically start with basic exercises, such as sitting up, standing and beginning to walk again. Many patients also need to work on issues like balance, posture, spatial awareness and controlling their movements.
Mental rehabilitation โ This can help patients with issues to do with their memory, ability to concentrate and other cognitive functions. This can involve both cognitive exercises to improve function and developing strategies to help patients deal with their mental impairment.
How long does brain injury recovery take?
There are no hard and fast rules for how long it will take to recover from a traumatic brain injury and it is usually very hard to make meaningful predictions at the outset.
Typically after around 6 months, the picture will be a lot clearer, meaning doctors and other healthcare workers will be able to give you a better idea of how much longer your recovery will take.
Generally, the most significant recovery will occur within the first two years after a brain injury, with any improvements after this period likely to be much smaller. However, many patients continue to improve for years with some reporting small improvements throughout the rest of their lives.
Accessing support for traumatic brain injury recovery
To get the best possible support for brain injury recovery, it is often necessary to pay for some services, such as physiotherapy and in-home care. This expense is often beyond the means of many people, which is one of the key reasons a lot of people choose to pursue brain injury compensation.
If you believe you may have grounds to make a brain injury compensation claim, it is a good idea to speak to a specialist firm of brain injury solicitors. They will be able to advise you on the strength of your claim and support you through the entire claims process, with many offering no win, no fee deals so there is no financial risk to you.