Therapy Activities for Brain Injury Patients

Currently, there are at least 5.3 million Americans living with a disability because of a brain injury. The estimated lifetime costs of brain injury (including direct medical costs and indirect costs such as lost productivity) totaled $60 billion in 2000. Every 23 seconds a traumatic brain injury occurs, and in the next year, an average of 1.4 million Americans will sustain a traumatic brain injury.

Physical Therapy

After a brain injury, it's important to maintain the body's full range of motion. Keeping the joints flexible helps prevent tight and shortened tendons. A physical therapist designs an individually tailored program to improve balance, coordination, speech and memory.

Sitting and standing balance is often affected with a brain injury. Starting with the patient on a hospital bed, physical therapists help with head and trunk control along with weight bearing through the legs.

Exercise balls are a favorite in physical therapy. Sitting on the ball uses different muscles to maintain balance. Balls vary in size, and some are designed for two people. Weights can be added for more intensity.

A gait trainer is a lift with a harness, mounted on the hospital's ceiling. The harness supports the patient as he walks on the treadmill to take away the fear of falling.

Speech Therapy

Speech problems vary depending on the location of the injury and amount of brain damage sustained. Muscles of the lips and tongue may weaken, and the patient may not speak clearly or loudly enough to be understood. Swallowing and chewing also may be limited.

To strengthen the muscles of the mouth, the speech pathologist uses various oral motor exercises of the lips, tongue and jaw. Eating awareness is heightened by focusing on different textures and temperatures of food.

Starting with simple yes or no questions, the speech pathologist encourages the patient to express his feelings. If the patient is unable to speak, this can be accomplished through blinks or nods of the head. Speech therapy sessions at least twice a week reinforce what patients have learned and may need to continue for many months.

Memory

With a brain injury, short-term memory is a more significant problem than long-term memory. A patient may recall an event that happened a few years ago but not remember what brought him to the grocery store.

Memory aids such as calendars and planners can help patients remember daily tasks. A pocket-size calendar can be carried in a pocket when away from home, while a daily planner or a large calendar prominently placed, can be used at home

Concentrate on one thing at a time and break tasks down. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Have a family member take notes at doctor's visits, and pay bills automatically through the bank.

Memory problems are worse when you're tired or sick, so eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of rest, and taking any prescribed medications is important.