Because of neuroplasticity, your brain can form new neural pathways. These pathways allow undamaged portions of the brain to take over functions controlled by damaged ones.
It does this in response to repetition. Therefore, the more you practice an action, the more you will reinforce those neural pathways. And the stronger those pathways are, the easier the activity will become. This principle applies to every type of brain damage, even brain stem damage. There are several therapies you can take part in to engage neuroplasticity and recover function. We will discuss the most important ones in the sections below:. After a brain stem injury, the connection between the brain and muscles can become damaged or destroyed.
The more you activate your muscles through physical therapy, the more skills you can hope to recover. While physical therapy is concerned with teaching you how to rebuild your physical strength, occupational therapy OT looks at the specific skills you need to regain independence. During an OT session, you will practice many important activities to improve your independence after brain stem damage.
Some areas of your life an occupational therapist can help you with include:. To help you regain these skills, an occupational therapist will teach you both restorative and compensatory strategies. Restorative techniques help you relearn how to perform an activity the way you did before your brain injury. Compensatory tactics , on the other hand, help you find an alternative way of doing a task. Of the two techniques, restorative techniques are more permanent and functional solutions.
Therefore, occupational therapists prefer to focus on restorative techniques whenever possible. A speech therapist can walk you through the various TBI speech therapy activities available, and show you exactly what you need to do to retrain your brain and regain swallowing skills.
They can also help you with cognitive or communication skills that sometimes are impaired after brain stem damage, such as the ability to listen, pay attention, and respond appropriately. To ensure the best recovery from brain stem damage, you should practice your home exercises every day after therapy.
If you struggle with memory problems, have your therapist write you a home exercise sheet to help you remember exactly how to do them. There are also home therapy devices, such as FitMi , which walk you through exercises in a fun and engaging manner. These devices can help you stay motivated in a way that hand-out sheets do not. Practicing your exercises every day will keep your brain stimulated and can help you recover from brain stem damage that much quicker.
Without a doubt, brain stem injuries are more debilitating than other brain injuries. However, even with brain stem damage, it is possible to improve skills such as swallowing or breathing.
If you have suffered a brain stem injury due to an accident that could have been prevented, you need to seek trusted legal advice on your right to claim compensation. We are here to help you now. Our law firm will handle your case on a contingency fee basis, which means you will not have to worry about paying us unless we win compensation for you.
We can discuss all your legal options in a free, no obligation consultation. An injury to the brain stem can cause widespread dysfunction in the brain and lead to a number of debilitating effects for the victim. Some victims may have difficulty speaking, walking, or even breathing. A brain stem injury can also be the result of trauma or swelling in the brain.
The brain stem plays an important role in how messages are transmitted from the brain to the rest of the body. The most common signs of a brain stem injury often involve a person not being able to function as they should.
Symptoms of a brain stem injury include:. If you have suffered a head injury, it is critical to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Brain stem injuries may also occur from falls from high places such as trees, windows, ladders, or rooftops. Children are prone to these types of injuries due to different forms of sports and recreation.
Falls from playground equipment, while skateboarding, bike riding, horseback riding, as well as playing contact sports , can lead to brain stem injury. Protective headgear has been shown to be preventative for youths and adults alike. A person who survives a brain stem injury will face an array of challenges which can be mental, physical, emotional, and financial. These challenges can last for a long duration, even a lifetime, depending upon the severity of the injury. There may be a loss of occupation or the ability to work at all.
There may be extended therapy and rehabilitation required. The person may even become dependent on others to live anything close to a normal life. It is imperative that a person who suffered a brain stem injury from the negligence of another seek the representation of an experienced brain injury attorney. A settlement mill or general practice attorney will not suffice in these cases.
The skilled brain injury attorney knows the lifetime costs that result from the injury, along with the high degree of pain and suffering, diminished quality of life including loss of consortium.
The attorney will not settle the case for what may appear like a lot of money at the time but is a fraction of the value of the case. He or she will fight aggressively for the true value of the case, even if it requires a court battle in front of a jury.
All of the vital functions mentioned above can be damaged and can give a direct life threatening danger. The brain stem plays a vital role in attention, arousal, and consciousness. All information to and from the body passes through the brain stem on its way to or from the brains.
Like the frontal and temporal lobes, the brain stem is located in an area near bony protrusions making it vulnerable to damage during an accident.
When a person's brain stops functioning, this state is called brain death. In other states with loss of consciousness such as coma, the brain still works. An infarct in the brain stem is given a name that is dependent on the area in the brain stem: Syndrome of Benedict, Claude, Foville, Millard-Gubler, Wallenberg and Weber.
Wallenberg syndrome Lateral medullary syndrome Cerebral infarction or hemorrhage stroke in the medulla in the brainstem, has been named specifically as the syndrome of Wallenberg or Wallenberg syndrome. The characteristic features are: suffer from hiccups, acute vertigo, jerky eye movements nystagmus , difficulty swallowing, vomiting, and disorder in the vocalisation, including dysarthria and hoarseness.
It depends on the location if half-sided sweat secretion is reduced sometimes even more! Sensory disturbance in the soft palate. The Horner's syndrome is seen in this syndrome: a drooping eyelid and a pupil is smaller. People with this syndrome may be on one side of the face feel less pain and temperature and on the other side of their body too.
Tinnitus ringing is a specified complaint. Most people with the Wallenberg syndrome recover better than people who have had a different type of stroke. The recovery differs from one person to another: from six weeks to six months and others with more significant damage may have a more permanent disability.
Horner's syndrome.
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