Tools to Help With Recovery For Brain Injuries

More is being learned about brain injuries all the time as there is more awareness of them. And with awareness comes better ways of assessing injuries and finding tools to assist in recovery.

With both clinical and scientific research, it has been proven that there are benefits with music. It is one of the tools that has been discovered that help benefit those who have been victims of a brain injury. It helps to re-organize the structure of the brain. Music, such as Mozart will help with organizing thoughts, activities and emotions. It also helps with memory, sequencing, concentration, verbal communication, self-esteem, depression and frustration. Music can be used to reeducate and retrain the injured brain. It can help with language and speech problems. It has been been discovered that although a patient may be unable to speak or put several words together to form a sentence, they can sing those same words in a song that is known to them. It has also been shown to help build relationships and facilitate positive behavior. It helps to improve movement in limbs and increases their strength as well.

Music therapy can enhance cognitive skills. Classical music especially increases brain activity but all types of music can be beneficial. There is growing evidence that demonstrate music is a valuable resource tool for those with head injuries. Another of those benefits is that it increases dopamine levels and changes the brain's chemistry. Many professionals working with survivors of brain injury have discovered that music is a powerful tool.

Another tool is the use of technology devices that are being used by virtually everyone but are recently being used in brain injury recovery. They have been found to help survivors, particularly those who have speech difficulties. It allows them to be able to communicate with caregivers, medical professionals and friends, helping them to stay connected with others. Some of these assistive devices offer a voice generated option. These digital devices can help them to relearn simple tasks such as reading. The use of these devices also improves cognition and helps with memory and organizing as well as giving reminders of daily tasks eliminating the necessity of using a diary.

Computers can also be powerful tools in rehabilitation. This is especially true if programs are selected to meet the needs of the brain injury survivor. Introduction to computer use though should only be when the recipient is open to using a computer and not forced if they are adamantly opposed to it.

Another tool that is being used in some instances to treat brain injury and stroke is hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). It is a high concentration of oxygen within a pressurized chamber. It is considered somewhat controversial as a treatment for brain injuries. However, it is claimed by some that many of the conventional treatment methods are not working. In some cases it is claimed, hyperbaric oxygen therapy can dramatically increase the oxygen carried in the blood stream and therefore assists with recovery.

It was once thought that between six to eighteen months following a brain injury, there could be little hope of recovery. But with more awareness and knowledge of the brain and the discovery of tools that can now be used in rehabilitation, it is now known that a brain injury survivor can continue to improve indefinitely.