5 Activities that helped my Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Journey

strengthen your cognitive abilities, improve memory, and problem solving skills while relaxing and doing simple things.

Apr 24, 2023

Life can change in an instant. A brain injury and other neurological diagnosis can make the simple things in life seem far away. That’s why I created these knitting patterns to assist in your recovery Journey.

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury? As stated in National Library of Medicine (NIH, 2018), Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a form of acquired brain injury, occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue.

Symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain. A person with a mild TBI may remain conscious or may experience a loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes. Other symptoms of mild TBI include headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes, and trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking.

A person with a moderate or severe TBI may show these same symptoms, but may also have a headache that gets worse or does not go away, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, an inability to awaken from sleep, dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the extremities, loss of coordination, and increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation.

Do I have a Traumatic Brain Injury? There are other reasons for brain injuries that may not fall into the category of "Traumatic Injury" such a strokes or drugs/ alcohol and chronic stress brain injuries, however have they also have recovery processes that are the same because they are brain injuries as well. For the sake of this article I will only speak to Frontal Lobe Skull Fractures and Post Concussion Syndrome.

What is a Frontal Lobe Skull Fracture? As stated in verywell Health, the frontal lobe lies at the front of the brain. It starts right behind the eyebrows, traveling up the forehead, and covering about a third of the top of your head.

Damage to the frontal lobe can lead to a variety of personality and behavioral changes. Long-Term Effects may include:

Attention and concentration problems
Difficulty solving complex problems
Language difficulty
Slowed critical thinking

Impatience and intolerance of others
Impulsive, dangerous behaviors
Verbal and physical outbursts
Poor judgement
Negativity
Apathy
Rigidity and inflexibility
Egocentricity

Depression
Insomnia
Substance abuse
Impaired movement

Frontal lobe damage from head trauma manifests in many different ways. This can depend on the severity of the injury, what sections of the frontal lobe were injured, and pre-existing personality traits.

What is Post Concussion Syndrome? As stated in American Academy of Neurology (AAN, 2013), Concussion is recognized as a clinical syndrome of biomechanically induced alteration of brain function, typically affecting memory and orientation, which may involve loss of consciousness (LOC). Symptoms are discussed as risk factors for severe or prolonged early impairments include headache, fatigue/fogginess, and dizziness. Signs include headache, fatigue/fogginess, early amnesia, alteration in mental status, and disorientation. A multidisciplinary approach to assessment and management is advocated in diagnosing concussion. Computerized tomography (CT) imaging should not be used to diagnose sports-related concussion, but might be obtained to rule out more serious traumatic brain injury (TBI) such as an intracranial hemorrhage in athletes with a suspected concussion who have LOC, post-traumatic amnesia, persistently altered mental status (Glasgow Coma Scale score 15), focal neurologic deficit, evidence of skull fracture on examination, or signs of clinical deterioration.

Recovery Process. A full and functional TBI recovery is almost always possible, even though it might take several years of dedication. But in order to make this type of progress, you must take initiative. In fact, without consistent work, brain injury recovery can stall and even regress.

5 activities that helped my TBI recovery journey

Walking,
A leisurely walk in the park can give you a chance to unwind. At the same time, the change in environment can stimulate your brain in new ways and has a significant improvement in balance, coordination, and endurance
Writing (journaling),
Strengthens cognitive abilities and increases blood flow to the brain as well as gives you a healthy outlet to process negative feelings
Reading out loud,
Reading out loud improves memory, visuospatial abilities and fine motor control
Driving a manual car, The brain of manual transmission driver is more stimulated with increased thinking and it strengthens cognitive abilities, improves memory, and problem solving skills
Knitting, Knitting is one of the most relaxing activities you can do, and it reduce stress and anxiety. Knitting helps stimulate the brain and to keep focus, and improve your memory, and problem solving skills

I want to share a FREE knitting pattern I created

Pi shawls are circular shawls based the mathematical principle of Pi, which is the circumference of a circle to its radius. They start at the center and are worked in the round with increases placed every few rounds.

This pattern is beginner friendly, using simple eyelets as the increase. The boarder has a little more details you may incorporate before binding off.

Pi Shawls are great for so many reasons including mental relaxation, brain building, creativity, and enjoying the final product. HAPPY KNITTING

Blondie's Pi Shawl Pattern

Do you think you have a Concussion?

If you have sustained a head injury and are exhibiting symptoms of a concussion, you must seek medical attention immediately. Take this quiz: Concussion quiz

References:

NIH.GOV

verywell health

Youtube:

Complete Concussion Management

Neuroscientifically Challenged

Support:

Brain Injury Association of America

Concussions in youth

Find me at:

Ravelry Knit Patterns

Website: cashmereandbeach.com