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Recovering from a Brain Injury? Learn How Physiotherapy Can Help Regain Function

Recovering from a Brain Injury? Learn How Physiotherapy Can Help Regain Function

A brain injury can dramatically alter one’s life, affecting physical abilities, cognitive functions, and emotional well-being. Recovery from such a profound event often requires a multifaceted approach, with neurological physiotherapy playing a crucial role. Physiotherapy focuses on the nervous system, aiming to restore movement, improve coordination, and enhance overall function. Whether the injury was caused by an accident or other traumatic events, neurological physiotherapy in Edmonton offers hope and a structured path to recovery.

You can book your online appointments even now!

How Physiotherapy Can Help

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can happen due to various reasons like accidents, falls, or sports injuries. They can result in a range of symptoms, including physical impairments, cognitive difficulties, and emotional changes. Recovery can be challenging, but our neurological physiotherapy in Edmonton plays a huge role in helping you get back on your feet.

Comprehensive Assessment: 

Our physiotherapists start with a thorough assessment to understand your condition and limitations. This assists us in developing a personalized TBI treatment plan that targets your specific needs.

  • Neurological Evaluation: We provide a comprehensive neurological evaluation to check your reflexes, sensory responses, and motor functions. This evaluation often includes the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, a reliable tool used to evaluate post-brain injury. This helps us understand how your nervous system is working and where we can help improve it.
  • Cognitive and Perceptual Assessments: We also take a look at your cognitive functions, such as memory, attention, and problem-solving skills. Our physiotherapists utilize techniques like the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to get a detailed understanding of your cognitive abilities.

Movement and Mobility Training: 

Regaining movement and mobility is crucial after a TBI. We use a variety of techniques, including exercises, stretches, and functional training, to help you improve your coordination, balance, and overall mobility.

  • Gait Training: Walking can be a challenge after a brain injury. We provide gait training to help you improve your walking pattern, balance, and coordination. This might include practicing with parallel bars, treadmills, or overground walking.
  • Functional Training: We provide functional training exercises that mimic everyday activities. This helps you practice and improve the movements you need for daily life, such as standing up from a chair, climbing stairs, or picking up items from the floor.

Strength and Endurance Building: 

Our physiotherapists design strength training programs to help you rebuild muscle strength and endurance. This is crucial for carrying out daily activities and enhancing your independence.

  • Progressive Overload: To continuously challenge your muscles, we use the principle of progressive overload. This means gradually increasing the weight, resistance, or number of repetitions as you get stronger.
  • Endurance Training: We provide exercises that focus on improving your cardiovascular endurance. This might include activities like walking, cycling on a stationary bike, or using a treadmill, all tailored to your fitness level and recovery stage.

Balance and Coordination Exercises: 

Brain injuries often affect balance and coordination. We incorporate exercises that target these areas, helping you improve stability and confidence in your movements.

  • Vestibular Rehabilitation: For those experiencing dizziness or balance issues due to inner ear problems, our physiotherapists use vestibular rehabilitation techniques such as gaze stabilization and habituation exercises to enhance your recovery.
  • Standing Balance Exercises: We provide exercises that improve your ability to maintain balance while standing. This might include standing on one leg, heel-to-toe walking, or shifting your weight from side to side.

Cognitive Rehabilitation: 

We also address cognitive challenges that may arise from a brain injury. Our physiotherapists use specific exercises and strategies to improve your memory, attention, and problem-solving skills.

  • Memory Exercises: We provide memory exercises to help you improve your recall and retention. This might include tasks like remembering a list of words, recounting details from a story, or using memory games and puzzles.

Pain Management: 

Pain often poses a substantial obstacle to recovery. Our team uses various pain management techniques, including manual therapy and therapeutic modalities, to help alleviate discomfort and improve your overall well-being.

1. Manual Therapy Techniques:

  • Joint Mobilization: Our physiotherapists use gentle joint mobilization techniques to improve joint function and minimize stiffness. This approach is crucial in restoring the range of motion and easing pain in joints affected by brain injury. It helps patients regain mobility and perform daily activities more easily.
  • Myofascial Release: Myofascial release is employed to target tight or restricted areas in the fascia (connective tissue), which can be a common issue after a brain injury. This technique helps alleviate pain, improve movement, and reduce restrictions that might impede rehabilitation progress.
  • Trigger Point Therapy: In neurological physiotherapy for brain injury, trigger point therapy is used to release tight knots in the muscles. These knots can lead to referred pain and discomfort, and their release aids in relaxing the muscles and reducing pain, facilitating better movement and function.

2. Therapeutic Modalities:

  • Electrical Stimulation: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation is utilized to transmit mild electrical impulses to the affected areas. This modality helps minimize pain and improve muscle function, which is particularly beneficial for patients recovering from brain injury who experience muscle weakness or spasms.
  • Ultrasound Therapy: It uses sound waves to penetrate deeply into the tissues, facilitating healing and minimizing pain and inflammation. For brain injury patients, this can help reduce muscle stiffness and improve tissue repair, supporting overall recovery.
  • Dry Needling: Dry needling targets muscle trigger points by inserting thin needles into these tight areas. This technique helps release muscle tension, reduce pain, and improve the range of motion. It is a valuable tool in neurological physiotherapy for brain injury, aiding in the relaxation of muscles and facilitating smoother movement.

Your Path to Recovery with Granville Physiotherapy

Recovering from a traumatic brain injury is undoubtedly challenging, but with the right traumatic brain injury therapies, significant improvements are achievable. Granville Physiotherapy offers personalized treatments that focus on regaining function and enhancing quality of life. Our neurological physiotherapy in Edmonton is here to guide and support you every step of the way.

Ready to take the next step in your recovery? Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how our specialized traumatic brain injury therapies can help you regain function and live your life to the fullest.

You can book your online appointments even now!