A traumatic brain injury is about as bad as it sounds. Brain injures are classified as either mild, moderate, or severe. The severity of the brain trauma is determined by the patient’s level of consciousness using motor response and verbal response after the injury.
Although the brain doesn’t recover the same way the rest of your body does, it can rewire itself and regain functionality over time. Here are some strategies for brain injury recovery and how to speed up the process.
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Keep a Healthy Lifestyle
Any doctor will tell you that regularly working out and eating a well-balanced diet will do wonders for your health.
Yoga is one form of exercise that can help promote balance, flexibility, and muscle strength during brain injury recovery. Some studies have also shown that moderate aerobic exercise can cause improvements in brain cognition.
On the opposite end, avoid anything like alcohol or recreational drugs that can negatively affect your brain health.
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Be Honest About Your Symptoms
It doesn’t matter how difficult your symptoms are or how embarrassing they may seem. At the very least, you need to be open and honest with your doctors about them.
Some hidden symptoms that may signal a worsening condition include slowed reaction time, sudden anxiety, and increased forgetfulness.
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Set Timers and Reminders
Setting timers throughout the day is a great way to remind yourself of some basic but important tasks, such as taking your morning and night medicine. You can also set reminders on your calendar in advance so that you don’t forget important doctor’s visits. Every phone has apps for these preinstalled, so they’re easy to access.
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Join a Rehabilitation Program
It can be difficult to handle your own brain injury recovery alone. Not everyone has the same kind of support network as others in their situation.
If you want some advice about recovering from a brain injury, a rehabilitation program can help. You can find a wide variety of options from extended rehab stays to daily treatment programs at home. At the very least, you can expect to come away with the skills necessary to continue your recovery afterward.
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Be Patient With Yourself
More important than everything else, you need to be patient with yourself. It’s easy to get frustrated when dealing with a brain injury that completely changes how you operate in your daily life. However, that extra stress and anxiety you’re feeling will only slow down your progress.
Meditation can help calm your brain down. You may also speak to your doctor about medications they can recommend.
Brain Injury Recovery Takes Time
Progress in brain injury recovery won’t happen overnight, regardless of how hard you work. It could take months to see any kind of improvement, and it won’t be in leaps and bounds. Despite that, it’s important to keep practicing good habits to maintain your brain health.
Check out our other articles if you’re interested in learning more about health, fitness, and other related topics.
