Recovery & Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation services are needed by individuals with TBI who continue to have medical and functional problems following injury and initial treatment. The need for rehabilitation crosses all age groups, but the type, intensity, and goals differ from person to person.

Early intervention is important to speed recovery and maximize functional outcome. Rehabilitation is begun as soon as individuals with TBI are medically stable. The degree and rate of recovery are difficult to accurately predict because TBI is experienced differently by each person depending upon several unique characteristics, such as the type of injury and an individual’s personal health and resilience.  Where rehabilitation takes place depends on the person's needs. Individuals with severe TBIs may need inpatient care at a Military Treatment Facility (MTF), a VA Polytrauma hospital, or a civilian rehabilitation center. Individuals with a mild TBI (mTBI)/concussion may be treated at outpatient facilities.

Rehabilitation is most commonly provided by a team approach that may include a number of different therapies such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, nursing care, psychologists, social workers/case managers and other healthcare practitioners. Members of the team create a program based on each individual's needs.  For example:

• Occupational therapy is intended to enhance a person's ability to do activities of daily living (ADLs), job-related tasks, improve fine motor coordination and maximize participation in leisure activities.
• Physical therapy involves exercising and moving the body to preserve, enhance or restore movement and impaired function utilizing therapeutic exercise, assistive devices and individual education and training.
• Speech and Cognitive therapies work with individual with TBIs to who may have problems with attention and concentration, learning, problem solving, memory, and speech. The goals are to retrain the brain.
• Many other specialized therapies may be used in TBI rehabilitation such as Vestibular (balance) therapy, Art therapy, Therapeutic Recreation, and Driver Rehabilitation.

The rehabilitation team evaluates individuals with TBI to establish baseline findings. The team sets both short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals provide an achievable target. Long-term goals are set to help people understand where they may expect to be several months later. Individuals with TBIs should be reevaluated — and new findings compared to baseline to help guide treatment and monitor progress. The goals may be changed if an individual progresses more slowly or quickly than expected.