Car accidents, workplace injuries and sporting accidents are some of the main causes of brain injury cases in Modesto. When the brain is damaged, no matter how slightly, patients risk diminished capacity in cognitive function as well as in motor and communication skills. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) rehab involves re-teaching functions that can be restored and learning new behaviors for those functions that cannot be restored. Although every case is certainly different in circumstance and severity, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend immediate rehabilitation for most brain injury patients in order to increase the chances of total brain function reestablishment.
Before rehabilitation begins, however, a brain injury patient will likely stay in the intensive care unit until his or her condition can be stabilized. The primary immediate concerns for a patient with a brain injury are proper oxygen supply to the brain and the body, maintaining proper blood circulation, reducing any swelling to the brain and controlling blood pressure. A specialist will also likely conduct any number of tests to examine and diagnose the extent of the brain injury, perhaps including a CT scan, MRI scan or PET scan. Once the patient has been stabilized, rehabilitation can begin with simple visual and motor skill exercises to get the brain functioning as quickly as possible to increase the chances of short and long-term success.
During this time, doctors or other medical professionals must take extreme care not to make critical mistakes, even in the most routine tasks. Even the smallest errors can cause patients to experience diminished capabilities, paralysis or worse. A personal injury lawyer can recover damages from medical malpractice, car accidents or workplace accidents that caused or exacerbated the brain injury. If you or someone you know has experienced a traumatic brain injury, it helps to have a legal advocate working for you as you heal.
