Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can take days, or even weeks to manifest themselves, which adds to the urgency behind education and awareness.
Did you know that approximately 2.5 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury, also known as TBI, every year? According to the CDC, aTraumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem in the United States. Each year, traumatic brain injuries contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability.
Our practice, Progressive Therapy Associates, offers TBI therapy in the Fargo, Moorhead area. Our TBI services not only help people with traumatic brain injuries, but also their families.
Chances are that you either have a family member who has suffered a traumatic brain injury or know of someone who has. For instance, many of us know someone or have a family member who has suffered a stroke, but many people don't associate a stroke with a brain injury when in fact it is.
Because of this common misunderstanding, Progressive Therapy Associates is dedicated to increasing awareness and providing hope by improving, empowering and renewing people and their family's lives.
Progressive Therapy Associates works toward helping people understand what steps or precautions they can take to help prevent a traumatic brain injury. We will also share information that will help you understand and recognize a TBI because having this knowledge will allow you to take action, giving you the best opportunity to recover from a traumatic brain injury. We don't wish a traumatic brain injury on anyone, but if you or your loved one has one, we are here to help.
What Causes a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?
A traumatic brain injury may be caused by a number of actions such as a bump, blow or jolt to the head. When the bump, blow or jolt to the head disrupts the normal function of the brain it results in a TBI.
Traumatic brain injuries may range in severity from mild to moderate and even severe. While treatment for each may vary, it is important to recognize and treat all traumatic brain injuries.
At Progressive Therapy Associates, we've treated people who have suffered a TBI due to automobile accidents as well as young student athletes. While automobile accidents are better known causes of a traumatic brain injury, taking your child to hockey practice and watching him or her trip, fall, or crash into another young athlete can also cause a brain injury. Understanding the signs and symptoms and taking action toward recovery is important. Of course a trip, fall or crash can happen in a variety of sports including soccer, football, baseball, basketball, skiing, hockey, skateboarding and so on. The point we want to make is not to stay away from sports, but to be preventative and recognize the symptoms of a traumatic brain injury. Even a mild brain injury, such as a concussion, can have lifelong impacts if untreated.
What Should You Look for as a Sign of a Traumatic Brain injury (TBI)?
In mild traumatic brain injury cases the signs and symptoms may not always be intuitively obvious which is why we would strongly suggest that if you even think that there may be a possibility of a TBI, please call us for a free consultation or schedule an appointment with your primary physician.
Some of the initial signs of a concussion include feeling foggy, tired, headaches, dizziness, nausea, slowed thinking, and difficulty remembering.
Other signs and symptoms which may not be as obvious could include altered sight, hearing, smell, taste or touch. For some, vision may become blurry, sounds appear overly loud, and food does not taste the same.
If you notice any changes at all in memory, don't brush it off as insignificant, because that can be a telltale sign of a potential brain injury.
You should also keep an eye out for changes in comprehension or attention. Other areas that may be significantly affected include planning and organization. Simple daily functions such as remembering what others have said, making a meal, and having energy to take care of youreself can be challenging and overwhelming.
Any of these types of changes require immediate diagnosis and treatment to improve the chances of recovery. Commonly with a traumatic brain injury, there is a change in mood and energy. If left untreated, mental health can be significantly impacted causing personality changes, depression, anxiety, and possibly even aggression.
If left untreated, victims of a traumatic brain injury often experience social inappropriateness, difficulty maintaining and managing their family relationships, friendships and ultimately their jobs and careers.
Here's the tricky part. Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can take days, or even weeks to manifest themselves, which adds to the urgency behind education and awareness. This is why we want to encourage you and anyone who may have suffered a TBI, to contact Progressive Therapy Associates right away.
We will continue to explore and raise awareness to traumatic brain injuries over the next few months to help you better understand, identify and react to a TBI so that you and your loved ones can continue to live a fulfilling life.
Our dedicated team of speech-language pathologists are specially trained in speech therapy as it relates to cognitive-communication issues (how you listen, process, focus, remember, and communicate). We are also nationally certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, are nationally recognized by the Brain Injury Association of America and are Certified Brain Injury Specialists (CBIS). We are licensed to practice in both North Dakota and Minnesota. We believe every patient deserves the best treatment and support we can offer in every single contact and interaction with us.
We recognize that no two people have the same needs and that everyone has different learning styles. That’s why we like to call our approach “the Progressive way,” which means we will happily customize treatment plans to meet the unique needs of the individual and their family. We also believe in “the right fit” between patient and therapist, so will make every effort to match you with a clinician who connects with you, understands you, and utilizes a therapy style that is comfortable for you.
Depending on the goals you wish to accomplish and the learning pace that is most comfortable for you, we will arm you with the evidence-based strategies, proven skills, and ample support you need to feel more organized, prepared, and effective. Therapy strategies may range from recommendations for specific tools (such as timers or planners), one-on-one brainstorming and problem-solving to address concerns, therapeutic activities as well as computer trials or worksheets to help strengthen cognitive and executive functions like attention, memory, and planning.
We know that working on cognitive-communication issues is hard work and that it can be easy to feel defeated or overwhelmed by the challenges of building a more efficient brain. However, you will not be in this alone. We are not just speech-language pathologists; we are fellow human beings who care about you, your journey, and your success. We don’t want an appointment to feel like you’ve been sent to the principal’s office. Instead, you’ll find a comfortable space where you’ll feel listened to and understood. And because humor makes everything more bearable, be prepared to laugh and joke a bit too!