During Brain Awareness Week, we want to help raise awareness about the brain and what can happen when someone sustains a brain injury.
Although the brain appears to be well protected within the thick bone of the skull, even a slight knock to the head can cause injury to the brain.
The brain can become damaged inside the casing of the skull, therefore, damage to the skull itself does not need to occur for an injury to the brain to happen. A knock to the head or rapid acceleration and deceleration can cause a brain injury, as the brain is pushed against the ridges inside the skull.
There has been significant brain research concentrating on what happens inside the brain during an injury and how we can limit the damage inside the brain after the injury has occurred. Bleeding inside the brain and damage to neurons can continue after the initial injury has taken place, so it’s important to try and stop this in its tracks and ensure damage is minimised.
Common problems faced by people following a brain injury include problems with memory, feelings of anxiety and depression as well as neurological symptoms such as seizures and the onset of epilepsy. All of these symptoms can be long lasting but can be improved over time with the correct rehabilitation pathways being put into place as soon as possible following an injury.
There are also many other symptoms people can experience and can be individual to each person. The area of damage and the amount of damage will not necessarily dictate the symptoms someone reports and each person’s experiences of a brain injury can be quite different.
Repeated injury to the brain has also been linked to degenerative brain diseases such as Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Boxers, rugby players and footballers should all be mindful of this whilst playing sport and ensure the relevant precautions are taken to avoid damage to the brain.
Milder brain injuries and concussion can cause longer term problems for people if not diagnosed and treated correctly. When a concussion occurs without any loss of consciousness the damage to the brain and the repercussions of this can be significant. Anyone who has sustained a concussion and is experiencing ongoing symptoms should return to their doctor for further tests and treatment.
Although areas of the brain that have been damaged cannot regenerate, the brain is adaptable and can learn new ways of doing things. The brain can restructure and rebuild neurons with intense rehabilitation and training.
At CFG Law we have helped many people who have sustained a brain injury. We understand the everyday problems people face and work tirelessly to ensure a bespoke treatment plan is put in place at the earliest possible convenience to vastly improve recovery outcomes.
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