The Physical Effects Of A Traumatic Brain Injury
When we think of a traumatic brain injury, what we typically think of first are the mental effects. You may experience confusion, an inability to learn, memory loss, difficulty speaking or formulating words, a change in your behavior, or a change in personality. However, the brain doesn’t just control how we think and how we act, but our bodies as a whole. The brain is an incredibly complex organ, and one that even today we only know a little bit about. Traumatic brain injuries, while they do come with mental and emotional effects, also come with plenty of physical ones as well. Some of the most common, and most devastating, physical effects of a traumatic brain injury may include: • Spasticity – Depending on the area of the brain injured, one may experience problems with spasticity on one side more than the other, or they may experience it in both sides of their body at once. This may include stiff or weak limbs, or limbs with limited ability to move, and this is all due to the muscle spasms being experienced. Spasms may also come along with intense pain or discomfort and must be treated as an ongoing issue with your medical team. • Loss of mobility – Some find that after suffering a traumatic brain injury they feel as if they’re living in the slow lane of life. This is due to their physical mobility slowing down, and in some instances, this may require use of a wheelchair or walker to get around. This is largely due to balance an co-ordination changes that come along following a TBI.
• Ataxia – Ataxia is a physical effect that refers to the irregular or uncontrolled tremors that come along with traumatic brain injury. In the hands and feet, this can make normal everyday tasks like walking or writing nearly impossible. Those suffering from ataxia may need to give up their careers or favorite hobbies due to the tremors they experience. • Sensory impairment – We rely on all of our 5 senses to get us around in everyday life. The sensation of touch to the skin may be numbed, vision may be impaired, a sense of smell lost, hearing dampened, or a person may be left with an inability to taste. This may develop over time after a traumatic brain injury, and it greatly depends on the area of the brain injured.
