Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Exercises: Full-Body & Cognitive TBI Exercises to Try at Home

Traumatic brain injury happens due to fatal accidents. It gets managed through traumatic brain injury recovery exercises. Rehabilitation provides several benefits, including rebuilding strength, improving movement, and restoring cognitive functions. It is through engaging exercises that you can find fun, stay motivated, and ensure you make the most out of your recovery. To aid you in navigating the rehabilitation process, we have compiled the most effective physical therapy exercises for TBI that get done at home.

 

Benefits of Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Exercises

When you suffer from a sudden traumatic brain injury, neural pathways get damaged, and the effects depend on the location and severity of the injury. Therefore, without a healthy neural pathway, the brain does face difficulty in communicating with the affected muscles.

 

The brain is versatile and can rewire itself through a process known as neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity strengthens existing neural pathways and creates new ones, which aids in improving the overall functions after a traumatic brain injury. There always exists hope for recovery from a moderate or even a severe traumatic brain injury with regular exercises. The key to recovery lies in neuroplasticity, which gets best activated through higher repetition of exercise and massed practice. The more this skill is practiced, the more the brain will recognize and adapt to that function.

 

Apart from neuroplasticity, traumatic brain injury recovery exercises also help to improve blood flow throughout your brain. For the body to function correctly, proper blood flow is necessary. The blood flow does get reduced once you suffer from a TBI due to lack of movement. Therefore, the more you exercise, the more blood flow will increase, providing you with sufficient oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.

 

Be Cautious When Creating Your Post-TBI Exercise Regimen

It is essential to note that sometimes TBI survivors do experience other types of injury at the same time, like muscular strains, wounds, and broken bones. These traumatic brain injuries usually require surgery and special precautions like avoiding heavy weights and strenuous movements.

 

The rehabilitation process for traumatic brain injury differs entirely from that of a stroke. Immediately after a stroke, it is widely recognized that early intensive rehabilitation is best known for maximizing recovery. Whereas, after a traumatic brain injury, the brain and nervous systems happen to be in a lot of nervous distress and are highly sensitive by nature.

 

The neurometabolic cascade that occurs after a subtle TBI, like a concussion, is why individuals experience sensitivity to sounds, headaches, and dizziness.

 

After a TBI, exercises are performed in a stepwise manner, which closely monitors how the body responds to increased physical challenges and mental stimulation.

 

You must listen to your body and how it exactly responds to the following exercises. Please consult with your therapist before trying any new exercises to ensure they are safe for you.

 

Perform exercises that are suitable for your ability level and increase the challenges as you continue to improve. The more you practice, both physically and mindfully, the more likely you are to observe positive results.

 

There are specific types of TBI exercises that target different muscle groups. While choosing to perform exercises, it can indeed seem overwhelming. Therefore, we have compiled a list of the top TBI exercises to help you get started.

 

Leg Exercises for TBI Survivors

The following traumatic brain injury recovery exercises will specifically target the legs, aiding in the improvement of gait and standing balance. Therefore, we will move on to other muscle groups after this section.

 

Seated Hip Internal/External Rotation

For this specific traumatic brain injury recovery exercise, you will require a towel. Begin your exercises by sitting in a comfortable position and placing a towel under your foot to make it easier to move. Do slide your foot towards your midline and push your legs outward to the side. Use your hands to assist as needed continuously. Repeat the exercises at least 10 times, then switch to the other leg. Perform three sets of 10. 

 

Seated Hip Abduction/Adduction

Begin this exercise by sitting in a chair and holding one leg slightly above the floor. Do kick your leg out slowly as far as you can, then move inward toward your midline. It can also be performed by sliding your whole leg out and in on a towel. Continuously aim for three sets out of 10 on both sides.

 

Seated Marching

These particular traumatic brain injury recovery exercises are performed in a seated position while maintaining a tall and upright posture. At first, lift your knee towards your chest and hold it for 1 to 2 seconds. Then bring it back down. Repeat the process on the alternate sides for a total of 20 times. It is generally performed by using your arms or by actively using the strength of your leg.

 

Straight Leg Raises

Straight-leg raises are an excellent exercise for recovering from traumatic brain injury to develop quadriceps strength. Lay flat on your back, either on the floor or on a bed, with one knee bent. With the other leg, straighten the knee and lift your leg upwards. Ensure your knee remains entirely straight by contracting your thigh muscles as you lift your leg up and down. Wrap a resistance band around your ankles to make it more challenging. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions on each leg.

 

 Core Exercises for Brain Injury Recovery

To quickly recover from traumatic brain injury, perform a few therapeutic exercises. A strong core is crucial for maintaining balance and stability during various activities, such as walking, sitting, and standing. These are a necessity in any TBI exercise regimen.

 

Lateral Trunk Flexion (Oblique Crunches)

Begin this core TBI exercise by sitting in a chair. Just dip your right shoulder down towards your right hip. Do use your core to pull your trunk back up to the center with good posture. Further, dip your left shoulder down to your left hip and pull yourself up again. Do repeat about 15 times on each side. 

 

Forward Punches

Being seated, clasp your hands together and slowly punch forward while keeping your arms parallel to the floor. Lean forward as far as you can. Do use your back muscles to pull your trunk back to an upright position. You should feel this in your shoulders, core, and back. Repeat it ten times and stop immediately if you feel any pain or discomfort in your back.

 

Seated Trunk Extension

For traumatic brain injury recovery, another core exercise is the seated trunk extension. In this exercise, sit in a chair with your arms crossed over your chest. Do bend at the waist to slowly lean forward as far as you can safely without falling over. Just use your back muscles to push yourself back up. Furthermore, you might use your arms to provide yourself a boost. Repeat three sets of 15. 

 

Seated Oblique Crunches

It is one of the most advanced traumatic brain injury recovery exercises on this list, and it may take more coordination. Sit tall in a chair with your arms crossed over your chest or your hands behind your head. Further, bring your right elbow to your left knee by bringing them together, then return to an upright position. On the alternate sides, repeat it for a total of 20 times. 

 

Balance Exercises for TBI

The core exercises do aid in improving balance; other exercises for traumatic brain injury recovery can also help with balance, as listed below. Always exercise caution when practicing any balance exercise to ensure you never fall.

 

Weight Shifts

For the early stages of brain rehabilitation, weight shifts are a great exercise.  Stand up straight, keeping your shoulders shoulder-width apart and your weight evenly distributed on both feet.  Further, shift your weight to your right foot and lift your left foot slightly off the ground. Hold it up for at least 30 seconds or as long as you can, maintaining a good shape. Please try to keep a tall posture and avoid leaning forward.  Furthermore, return to your starting position and repeat this exercise five times on each side. 

 

Romberg Stance

Stand with your feet together, and your eyes closed. (Further, to ease into it, you do hold onto the back of a chair with both hands). The main goal is to stand up for 2 minutes, but do hold for as long as you can. Furthermore, you may feel your body sway when you close your eyes, but that remains normal since your brain generally relies on vision to aid you in remaining oriented. When vision gets removed, your brain adjusts and uses a different sense to help you balance. Furthermore, activating other parts of the brain is beneficial for traumatic brain injury recovery.

 

Tandem/Staggered Stance

The most popular balance exercise for TBI survivors is the tandem stance. For traumatic brain injury recovery exercises, stand upright with one foot slightly in front of the other, with the heel of one foot lined up with the toes of the other.

Do hold up for about 30 to 60 seconds, then switch to your other foot. If this proves too difficult, try staggering your feet with a little more space between them. The wider your support base remains, the more stable you will feel. To increase the difficulty, try this balance exercise with your eyes closed.

Conclusion

After a traumatic brain injury, survivors struggle with physical and cognitive function. Surprisingly, traumatic brain injury recovery exercises have proven to aid in improving these effects and promote recovery. Furthermore, engaging in these recovery exercises is crucial to maximize your independence and restore overall functions. To stay fit, be sure to consult with your therapist before attempting any new exercises.