What is the Recovery Time After a TBI?
A common question after a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) is “what is the recovery time”?
Unfortunately, this is nearly impossible to answer for several reasons. First the brain itself is extremely complicated. It controls many different parts of the way we breathe, think, walk and talk. Some patients may walk more quickly than they are able to speak.
The brain quite possibly may:
- Completely heal
- Parts of the brain may re-wire itself, so different parts of the brain take on new functions
- Relearn how to perform a function (compensatory strategy)
TBI does not have a specific guideline for recovery time. People continue to change and develop for years after their traumatic brain injury. The rate of progress does reduce over time, with the most progress typically seen in the first few months to years, but it is common for TBI patients to continue to see changes five to ten years after the injury.