For most people, the phrase “traumatic brain injury” immediately conjures up a host of disturbing images: someone wasting away in a coma or dying after a car accident, for example. The reality is a little less dramatic. While traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are serious, they aren’t automatically life-threatening–and the osteopathic therapists at Jenna Howe & Associates Osteopathy and Concussion Recovery can play a role in helping you rehabilitate afterward and reduce pain from a brain injury.
A traumatic brain injury is any injury that disrupts the normal function of your brain. They’re classified as either mild, moderate, or severe based on the nature of their symptoms. They’re also surprisingly common: Brain Injury Canada estimates around 165,000 yearly, not including people who did not seek treatment.
Treatment for a traumatic brain injury will depend on the severity of its symptoms and the exact nature of the damage. For mild TBIs, osteopathic therapy can help relieve the pain associated with the injury and promote healing.
If you recently suffered a traumatic brain injury, request an appointment at our Victoria BC, or Burnaby, BC clinic to learn more about how we can help.
What Are The Different Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries?
Traumatic brain injuries occur as a result of trauma to the head. Falls, sports injuries, and car accidents are all examples of traumas that can lead to brain injuries. In addition to being classified by severity, doctors sort TBIs into two broad categories based on the nature of the damage to the brain:
- Penetrating TBI, which occurs when an object pierces the skull and damages the brain tissue
- Non-penetrating TBI, which occurs when an external force (such as a fall) jostles the brain against the skull.
While a penetrating TBI is usually obvious, you might not always realize when you’ve experienced a non-penetrating TBI, particularly if it’s mild. Although a traumatic brain injury can cause various physical, cognitive, or sensory symptoms, these symptoms don’t always appear immediately. In fact, you might not start experiencing symptoms until a few weeks after your injury.
Some of the common symptoms of traumatic brain injury include the following:
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Nausea or vomiting
- Brain fog or difficulty concentrating
- Changes to sleep patterns
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Mood changes
- Fatigue
If you notice TBI symptoms within 24 hours of an injury to your head, seeking medical care is important. But if your symptoms persist or develop during recovery, the manual osteopathic therapists at Jenna Howe & Associates Osteopathy and Concussion Recovery can help you find relief.
What are Some Examples of Traumatic Brain Injuries?
There are several different ways that a TBI can impact your brain, some more severe than others:
Concussion
- A concussion is one of the milder forms of traumatic brain injury. Unlike other types of brain injury, it’s not considered permanent, although you will likely experience symptoms for several weeks.
Contusions
- Contusions occur when blood vessels bleed into the brain matter, causing bruising or swelling. Minor contusions may heal on their own within a few days. More serious contusions will require medical intervention and may take months to heal.
Diffuse Axonal Injury
- This is one of the most common types of brain injury. It’s also generally more severe than a concussion. It occurs when the nerves connecting the brain’s different parts are damaged. That damage can be either temporary or permanent, and recovery can take a long time.
How Can Osteopathic Therapy Help Me Recover and Reduce Pain From a Traumatic Brain Injury?
The therapists at Jenna Howe & Associates Osteopathy and Concussion Recovery can help make your TBI recovery less painful. Depending on the nature of your injury, we might even be able to shorten your recovery time!
Generally, mild TBIs require plenty of rest during the early part of recovery. That includes physical rest, such as taking a break from playing sports, and cognitive rest, which involves resting your brain by avoiding computer screens, TV, and texting.
However, if your symptoms persist, the team at Jenna Howe & Associates Osteopathy and Concussion Recovery can help you manage them as you work through your recovery. We offer osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), a hands-on treatment technique in which we carefully realign the cranial unit. OMT rejuvenates the flow of brain fluid, releasing the tension in your nervous system. As a result, it can help reduce pain and improve other TBI symptoms.
Our therapists can also counsel you on ways to encourage healing in your brain, such as gentle aerobic and strengthening exercises appropriate to your condition.
Request an Appointment with Jenna Howe & Associates Osteopathy and Concussion Recovery Today!
If you’re recovering from a TBI, especially a minor TBI like a concussion, osteopathic therapy can help with symptoms and encourage overall healing. To learn more about how our osteopathic therapists can play a role in your recovery, request an appointment with us today!
