If you’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and seek care at an emergency care facility right away. Even mild traumatic brain injuries like concussions can involve serious complications. This is true even if the injured person was wearing protective headgear at the time of injury.
After being checked out with immediate support, you should follow the medical care provider’s recommendations to begin to recover. Over the counter pain relievers may be recommended for head pain, and it’s likely you’ll be advised to take it easy and get plenty of rest. It’s very important to avoid a second brain injury during this time of recovery, so athletes and others at risk for head trauma will likely need to take a break from sports play, work or other activities, as appropriate.
TBI involves an interruption of normal physiology, damage at the cellular level occurs, and multiple biochemical pathways may be involved. Trauma can inhibit the brain’s ability to function properly. Although the brain can heal itself after concussion, the best way to recover as fully and as swiftly as possible is to seek out proper care and therapy that promotes healing. This can help you feel better and avoid ongoing or worsening symptoms that may occur after a mild traumatic brain injury.
A functional neurologist can help with managing recovery from a traumatic brain injury with care that is comprehensive and customized. The first step is a comprehensive evaluation that assesses your unique condition. The focus is on the brain-body connection, and how function has been affected in specific ways. This evaluation includes an in-depth neurological exam and complete assessment of all of your body’s systems and how they are working together.
A comprehensive evaluation reveals a very full and detailed picture of exactly what’s going on with your brain-body connection. A customized plan of therapeutic support that is uniquely designed for you can then be developed. Testing reveals the specific problems an individual is having with function, where damage has occurred, and what can be done to facilitate recovery. The goal of this type of care is to trigger the development of new brain connections in very precise ways.
Functional neurology takes advantage of many different therapeutic techniques to restore brain function and facilitate new connections. Progress is carefully monitored and measured; there is no guesswork involved in care or what is needed to continue to bring about healing. A functional neurologist doesn’t just look at symptoms, but at objective measurements that provide a full overview of progress.
Managing a traumatic brain injury with the support of a functional neurologist is a risk-free, completely safe approach to rehabilitation and recovery. All therapies are completely natural and do not involve discomfort or side-effects. If you’re committed to recovering fully from a traumatic brain injury and you don’t want to take a wait and see approach to care, it’s likely a functional neurologist can help.