Typical Associations With TBI

Traumatic brain injury is typically associated with severe head trauma, coma, and hospitalization for weeks or months. Researchers have found that traumatic brain injury, we call it mTBI for short, can occur even with minimal brain injuries. There are many symptoms of cognitive dysfunction, including fuzziness (brain fog), lack of concentration, etc. Mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients tend to complain about headaches. Often they are mild daily headaches with frequent attacks of migraine-like pain. Dizziness and unsteadiness are also common symptoms of mTBI. Some suffer from full-blown vertigo. Symptoms can last from a few days up to years, depending on the severity of the injury. Chronic cases may cause a vague feeling of anxiety or cause loved ones to notice changes in personality. Thousands of Americans suffer from mTBI every year. Physicians fail to diagnose or miss the disorder, according to researchers. It is possible to remain disabled from mTBI for the rest of your life. Health care is facing a critical crisis because of inadequate diagnosis and the long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries. Even worse, there are currently no effective drug treatments for chronic mTBI.

The Brain After Trauma

Let’s look at what happens to the brain after trauma. We know that seemingly minor head trauma such as from sports or a rear end auto accident can have profound effects on the brain. When the brain has been traumatized, it is impacted locally. Brain injury damage often does not stay localized, however. In some cases, the second wave of injury may spread far beyond the initial site of damage, affecting the entire brain. The problem is obvious. Brains are highly complex organs, and their reactions to minor injuries are also complex. As a result of brain jostles, sugar cannot be burned for energy. As glucose is the brain’s primary fuel source, this poses a serious problem. mTBI alters the wiring of our brain while also knocking out its power supply. In other words, it takes more energy to reboot the brain after an injury, but the supply of energy for remembrance is severely weakened at the same time. The symptoms of mTBI may persist for months or even years due to this. As a result, the brain is more vulnerable to future damage due to its rapid consumption of antioxidants which protect it from ongoing damage. There are undoubtedly many more events that occur after brain injury, but secondary inflammation is also an important consequence. This neuro-inflammation kills healthy nerve cells. After an initial injury, chronic inflammation further exacerbates the damage.

Medications, Symptoms, and Treatment

Furthermore, there is little evidence to suggest that current medications can reverse, if not even lessen, these changes in brain metabolism after trauma. There is hope for treating both the symptoms and the underlying cause of persistent mTBI symptoms. Sidney Crosby was treated by the chiropractic neurologist Professor Ted Carrick during his recovery from a TBI. Specifically designed chiropractic rehabilitation protocols are available for patients who suffer a traumatic brain injury. Balancing issues can be addressed effectively by them. As a result of TBI, a set of highly specific, individualized exercises are implemented to assist the patient in regaining neurological function lost to the trauma. Those exercises can restore neurological function quite effectively, on their own. Professor Yuri Danilov and his research team have pioneered an approach known as Cranial Nerve Non-invasive Neuromodulation or CN-NINM to treat migraines shortly. What Danilov and his team have found is that stimulating the brain while applying neurological rehab techniques amplifies the rehabilitation of lost neurological function. When combined with chiropractic neurological rehabilitation, the results by Dr Danilov can be truly amazing. People suffering from ongoing symptoms of traumatic brain injury have great hope in this. In the field of traumatic brain injury, another exciting and promising development is the discovery that the damaged brain can transition from using glucose or sugar for energy to using other energy sources (acetate, for example).

Brain Injury Legal Help Considerations

Our traumatic brain injury attorneys represent both victims of traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries caused by the fault of others. In our first meeting with clients, we typically answer a lot of questions regarding brain injury lawsuits and the legal process in general. 

Here are some commonly asked questions:

What are some ways a brain can be injured?

Traumatic injury is the leading cause of death for people under 45 in the United States. An adult or child suffers a traumatic brain injury every 15 seconds. A vehicular accident, a fall from height, or injury while playing sports are the most common causes. If you hit your head on the steering wheel of a car or are thrown through a windshield, you will suffer direct trauma.

In addition, construction workers have suffered brain injuries from falling from heights. Shaken Baby Syndrome is a less recognized cause of injury, in that the trauma is indirect, namely, a severe shaking of the baby can damage its delicate nerve cells, resulting in irreversible brain damage.

Is there anything else we need to watch for besides concussion and dizziness?

An attorney knows that less obvious injuries are just as dangerous over the long term because they are so difficult to detect. The following are some examples to watch out for:

Blurriness and loss of vision

Hearing loss

Taste and smell are affected

Disturbances of the hormonal system

Can Lead Poisoning Cause Brain Damage?

Many children, especially those in substandard housing, are at risk for lead poisoning. As a toddler, toddlers are inquisitive and often put things in their mouths. Lead can damage the child’s brain at that age with any amount in the blood. The child may be affected for life if he ingests peelings of paint chips he places in his mouth and the lawyer will carefully review your case to see if the landlord failed to live up to the established housing standards in maintaining your premises.

 Is Hypoxia Caused by Trauma During Childbirth?

In short, the answer is “yes,” but there are several factors to consider, which is why it is important for the injury lawyer to review the entire record of the newborn and his mother, especially the delivery records. An attorney can review the records to determine whether there was any sign of distress during the birth of the newborn, as well as the physician’s response. The attorney may advise his client that there is a viable brain injury lawsuit to be instituted on behalf of his child if an emergency C-section was indicated but not performed, like when a resident delivered the infant (residents are not allowed to perform C-sections).

An injury lawyer can explain the applicable statutes of limitation for bringing a medical malpractice lawsuit against a negligent doctor that caused the injury. David Dwork is the Massachusetts attorney who concentrates his law practice on Traumatic Brain Injury and has the vast experience necessary to get the best results and the compensation your family deserves. To speak to David about your case, you can contact us online or call 617-973-5024.