Paralysis Following a Traumatic Brain Injury
Over the past few years, the brain has received a lot of attention. This makes sense because many of the neurological injuries that people can sustain are permanent. Therefore, a lot of research dollars have been thrown in the direction of traumatic brain injuries, resulting in new diagnostic and treatment modalities. Some of the statistics on traumatic brain injuries that were recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have shown that:
- In 2013, nearly three million people visited an emergency room due to concerns for a traumatic brain injury.
- Close to 50,000 people in this same year died from a traumatic brain injury.
- An additional 300,000 people were admitted to a hospital due to serious head injuries.
- During a study that lasted six years, the rates of ER visits for traumatic brain injury symptoms increased by nearly 50 percent.
- More than 320,000 children visited an emergency room due to head or brain injuries, such as concussions.
- The rate of ER visits by children for traumatic brain injury concerns has doubled over the past 10 years.
This information shows the seriousness of traumatic brain injuries. Even though there have been a lot of new treatment options developed for traumatic brain injuries, they still lead to serious complications.
Mechanisms of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Someone could sustain a traumatic brain injury in many ways. It is essential to understand how these injuries occur so that they can be avoided. Some of the common mechanisms include:
- A slip and fall injury on an icy sidewalk or a wet floor could lead to a head injury.
- Blunt and penetrating injuries of the head could occur in a car accident.
- Riders could strike their head after falling from a bike or motorcycle.
A traumatic brain injury is always serious and could lead to permanent, lifelong complications such as paralysis.
Paralysis is a Serious Complication
People could develop many complications after a traumatic brain injury. Some of the common ones include headaches, chronic pain, and issues with vision and hearing. Unfortunately, people can also become paralyzed following a traumatic brain injury. This happens if there is permanent damage to the motor cortex, which is responsible for transmitting commands from the brain down the spinal cord and to the extremities. Depending on the extent of damage in the motor cortex, people could lose the function of one or more of their limbs.
What are the Treatment Options?
There are several treatment options for people who have suffered paralysis following a traumatic brain injury. Some of these include:
- Pain medications for chronic pain that people often have in their affected limb.
- Physical therapy can be helpful in restoring some motor function in an affected area.
- In some cases, paralysis is reversible and requires emergent surgery.
Paralysis could also develop from swelling in the brain that is pressing on the motor cortex. If this swelling is relieved by a neurosurgeon, motor function could return. This is why it is important to seek medical care as quickly as possible.
Watch YouTube Video: Partial Paralysis from Traumatic Brain Injury. In the video below, a real-life survivor of brain injury shares his story about his experience with partial paralysis.
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Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a personal injury lawyer in Sacramento. Paralysis following a traumatic brain injury demands the immediate attention of trained professionals. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a car accident, call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly legal advice.
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Photo by: The photo at the start of this article is seen in its original form on Unsplash. The image has been reproduced here with permission/Paralysis Following a Traumatic Brain Injury.
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