In California, there are around 33,000 diagnoses of traumatic brain injuries every year. Car accidents are one of the top causes of TBIs. Sports injuries, falls and any other accident or intentional assault that affects the head could cause an injury to the brain. The impact of a blow to the head causes your brain to collide with the inside of your skull. Bumping against your skull can damage brain tissues.
Each case of traumatic brain injury is different because there are three classifications of severity and various parts of the brain. Where your brain sustained an injury affects your symptoms. Thus, your treatment plan could vary from another patient’s treatment plan.
Memory-improvement techniques
If you’re struggling with memory problems after a traumatic brain injury, you can practice certain techniques to redevelop this part of your brain. Association, linking something that you’re trying to remember to another related object or a mnemonic, is one strategy that you can use. Repetition will help you remember and learn too. Spending time each day working on improving the skills that you lost will help you regain them.
Supporting brain health with nutrition
Omega-3s, protein, magnesium and zinc are some of the most important nutrients that help your brain heal. You may want to incorporate more foods that are high in these nutrients into your diet. Examples of foods that have brain health benefits include:
- Salmon
- Mackerel
- Eggs
- Walnuts
- Pumpkin seeds
- Flaxseed oil
- Dark leafy greens
- Blueberries
- Avocados
- Dark chocolate that’s at least 70% cocoa
Exercise for a mild TBI
If you have a mild traumatic brain injury, then light exercise will speed up your recovery. Exercise sends more nutrients and blood to your brain. You only need about 20–30 minutes a day of light exercise. This can help you improve balance, coordination, memory and cognition. In the past, doctors thought that exercise would be harmful to patients who have mild traumatic brain injuries, but studies found the opposite to be true.
Traumatic brain injuries heal faster when use cognitive improvement strategies and add foods with key brain nutrients into your diet. For those who have a mild TBI, regular exercise is another step that they can take to recover.
