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Newsletter - March 2021

The History of Traumatic Brain Injuries

The month of March is Brain Injury Awareness month. Many of our BEI clients are those that have suffered some sort of traumatic brain injury (TBI), so our chapter of BEI here at MSU has decided to raise money for Origami in support of Brain Injury Awareness month. In order to understand this cause as well as our clients, it is important to know the background of this month and what exactly TBIs are.

The goal of Brain Injury Awareness Month is to raise awareness to the condition known as TBI. This month serves to reduce the judgement surrounding this community as well as provide support for those that have TBIs. Through the use of yearly themes, the Brain Injury Association provides support for caregivers and promotes the types of support that are available to clients with TBIs. This month has been recognized since 1993 and support for the cause continues to grow as more research and awareness of the cause increases.

The Brain Injury Association recognizes both non-traumatic and traumatic brain injuries. The key thing to keep in mind is that no two brain injuries are alike. With some many different areas and complex functions, the same injury could impact two people in very different ways. Brain injuries are also chronic injuries that currently have no cure. It is important to understand that those who suffer these injuries often have to change their whole lifestyle based on how the injury affects them. The degrees to which a person’s life is affected is based on the severity of the injury, but it is important to remember that there is no permanent cure for these brain injuries. There are therapies and temporary cures to relieve symptoms associated with TBIs.

In emergency cases of brain injury treatment, it is important to provide the emergency care necessary to remove the brain of harm. These include removing blood clots in the case of stroke, or repairing a fractured skull and removing brain debris that could be restricting the healing process. In the case of aneurysms, the pressure on the skull has to be relieved immediately in order to prevent further brain damage. Once these emergency steps have been taken, brain injury patients usually undergo drug treatments and other therapies in order to help relieve their symptoms and return to as normal of a life as possible.

The therapies that a patient undergoes are usually related to the kind of symptoms that they are having. If they have physical limitations, they will undergo physical therapy and speech therapy to help regain some of the motor skills that they lost. Other cases need therapies to return to normal conventional life or psychological aid to help with the trauma and stress that injury caused. In the most severe cases, the patient needs to be transferred to a long-term care facility where they can go get round the clock treatment and care.

One of the main facilities we work with as part of BEI in Origami Rehabilitation Center. They work to help patients with Alzheimer’s and TBIs to get the care that they need. In fact, the work we do with our clients is a form of cognitive therapy that helps to regain some of the cognition that was lost. As we raise money for Origami and we continue to help our clients, it is important to recognize what these people have been through and how even the smallest things can have a huge impact on their lives.