15 Things Every TBI Survivor Should Know

For traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors and caregivers, learning everything possible about the road ahead is important. The team at Flint Rehab is passionate about TBIrecovery, and we have a lot of experience to share. Since we know you can get the facts anywhere, we’ve put together 15 of our best tips— including plenty of unconventional advice that you won’t find anywhere else. Let’s get to it.

Recovery Tip #1: Recovery is possible even decades aftera TBI.

Someone once asked us, “It’s been 13 years since my TBI, is there any hope for improvement? Or will it just be wasted effort?” Our answer was a resounding "YES! There’s always hope." We’ve seen a patient 24 years post-TBI decide that, after a decade without rehab, he wanted to improve hand function. Although his family thought it would be a waste of effort, he tried anyway. And guess what? He succeeded.

Recovery Tip #2: Make repetition your best friend. Repetition is the number one driver of success during TBI recovery because repetition helps activate neuroplasticity—the mechanism that your brain uses to rewire itself and form new connections. That means the more you practice something, the stronger the connections in your brain become. If you want to improve movement in your arm after a TBI, for example, then you need to practice arm exercises repetitively. Each time you repeat an action, new connections strengthen in your brain

Recovery Tip #3: Consistency is key in speeding up your recovery.

While there is no magic pill for TBI recovery, you can speed up your results by being consistent with your rehabilitation. When the brain has consistent stimulation through regular practice — daily or every other day—you will reinforce and strengthen the new connections in your brain faster, which will have you seeing faster results. So be sure to stick to your regimen.

Recovery Tip #4: Know that your recovery is unique to you.

Because different areas of the brain can be affected at various severities, every TBI is different. Depending on which part of the brain is affected, different functions can be impaired. With so many variables to consider for each patient—both known and unknown—it can be difficult for medical professionals to provide or prescribe the ‘perfect’ rehab treatment. That’s why it’s important to avoid comparing your recovery to that of others. You may heal faster than some and slower than others. Try not to bog yourself down with comparison and instead focus on the next step in front of you.

Recovery Tip #5: Practice cognitive exercises to boost memory and focus.

Brain injuries can also affect cognitive functions such as memory, concentration, and critical thinking. Luckily, just like movement, cognitive functions can be improved through task-specific and highly repetitive practice too! For example, if you're struggling with memory, make sure to consistently practice activities that test your memory. This repetitive stimulation will activate neuroplasticity and help you develop these skills.

Recovery Tip #6: Learn how to permanently treat spasticity.

Botox injections can provide relief from spasticity. Although they work well, they're a temporary solution. Once it wears off, you'll need more injections. For long-term relief from painful spastic muscles, you need to address the root cause, which is brain-muscle communication. When TBI disrupts your brain’s ability to communicate with your muscles, they tense up in order to protect themselves. Therefore, to treat spasticity, you'll need to reconnect your mind to your muscles with rehabilitative exercise. By activating neuroplasticity, your brain will regain control over your spastic muscles and they will relax.

Recovery Tip #7: Ask your doctor about the location of your brain injury.

Typically, right-hemisphere brain injuries result in very different secondary effects than left-hemisphere brain injuries. Understanding which part of the brain was affected by TBI can help you anticipate and make sense of the secondary effects that you experience. If you had a left-hemisphere brain injury and your language center was damaged, for example, it may result in a language disorder known as aphasia.

Recovery Tip #8: Ask about the size of your TBI too.

Brain injuries occur in a wide spectrum of sizes. Some TBI patients experience mild injuries and recover fairly quickly. In contrast, other TBI patients sustain severe damage, which results in severe secondary effects that require intensive rehabilitation to treat. As a result, it can take decades to recover from a severe brain injury. By asking your doctor about the size and location of your TBI, you’ll have a good sense of what to expect on the road to recovery.

Recovery Tip #9: Always strive for a full recovery.

By now, you might think we’re overly optimistic about TBI recovery— and that’s the point! When you fall under the limiting beliefs of a poor TBI prognosis, like being told that you’ll be in a wheelchair for the rest of your life, you fall under the nocebo effect. That's when bad things become true simply because you believe they will. Not cool. We would much rather have you believe in a full recovery. That puts you under the placebo effect, where good things become true because you believe they will. This isn’t to say you won’t have to work really hard, because you will. But believing in yourself will help you achieve a higher recovery than anyone predicted.

Recovery Tip #10: Get tons of sleep - your brain really needs it.

A lot of TBI patients are startled by how much sleep they crave after brain injury. Rest assured that sleeping a lot after TBI is perfectly normal. Your brain is hard at work healing itself right now, and that sucks up a lot of mental juice. Everyday activities might take up more energy than normal, so you need to allow yourself that extra rest to reenergize and heal.

Recovery Tip #11: Deal with plateaus the right way.

During TBI recovery, you'll experience the fastest results during the first few months of recovery when your brain is in a heightened state of plasticity (meaning your brain is trying really hard to recover). But after the first 3-6 months, your progress starts to slow down. This is considered a plateau, and it is not a sign that you should give up. It’s a sign that you need to double down. Recovery won’t stop as long as you don’t stop.

Recovery Tip #12: Don’t go too hard by exercising too much.

Exercising after TBI in order to regain movement is always highly encouraged—but don’t over-do it. You know your body best. If you feel like you’re pushing too hard, then ease up. Take a day off. Get some sleep. Then get back at it.

Recovery Tip #13: Feed your brain with feedback.

The most effective rehabilitation will provide your brain with feedback, which means that there is a clear “Sucess” or “Failure” cue for your brain. You need proper feedback in order to rewire your brain effectively. When there isn’t good feedback, your brain doesn’t know the difference between a properly executed movement and a poor one.

Recovery Tip #14: Do what Michael Phelps did every day.

Michael Phelps, 23-time Olympic gold medalist, used visualization to prepare for his swim meets. Before each meet, he spent time visualizing winning or dealing with complications. That way, when complications arose, he was already wired to deal with them. You can apply the same research-proven technique to brain injury recovery. Visualization helps rewire the brain after TBI by triggering neuroplasticity the same way that physical practice does. While this technique can't substitute for physical therapy, combining the two can lead to better results

Recovery Tip #15: Become your own TBI recovery expert.

We highly recommend researching all things brain injury recovery so that you know what’s right for your body. Your doctors and therapists can only take you so far, and your recovery is ultimately in your hands. You’ve got this.