What is spasticity?
Spasticity is the uncontrolled overactivity of muscles caused by disrupted signals from the brain. It is common in persons with more severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). People with spasticity may feel as if their muscles have tightened and will not relax or stretch. They may also feel muscle ...
A severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects more than just the injured person. It also affects family members and friends who love and are close to the person who is injured. As one of these people, you play a very important role in caring for a loved one with a ...
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MSKTC Radio · Understanding a Burn Injury
PHASE I: Burn Evaluation & Early Care
What Is a Burn Injury?
A burn injury is damage to the layers of skin caused by exposure to the one of the ...
What You Can Do About Your Pain
In the same way that pain is personal, so too are strategies for managing it. Learning to manage pain is a process that takes practice. Don’t get discouraged if the process is difficult at the start.
In this document, you’ll find some common strategies for ...
Pain is an unpleasant sensation that can range from mild to very severe. Pain is very personal; two people can have the same type and amount of pain and have very different reactions to it.
Pain is usually considered chronic when it lasts more than three months. Many people with traumatic ...
What are irritability, anger, and aggression and how can you recognize them?
Irritability is an emotional state in which a person has a short temper and is easily annoyed or angered. As a result, small things can lead to harsh reactions (for example, snapping at family or friends). This is most ...
People hospitalized for a burn injury often describe it as one of the most painful injuries one can experience Opioids are frequently prescribed to help alleviate this pain.
Although there is not one standard approach to acute burn pain management, a goal is for the hospitalized patient to be awake, alert, ...
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MSKTC Radio · Memory and Moderate to Severe TBI
Memory and Traumatic Brain Injury
Memory problems are very common in people with moderate to severe TBI.
TBI can damage parts of the brain that handle learning and ...
Introduction
Wheelchair breakdowns can injure wheelchair users and limit mobility and social participation. Poor wheelchair maintenance increases the risk of wheelchair breakdowns and personal injury or death, and increases the costs of medical care. The number of users injured from wheelchair breakdowns doubled from 1991 to 2016.
According to a 2016 study, ...
What does the respiratory system do?
Your respiratory system (or pulmonary system) is responsible for breathing. This system enables you to inhale oxygen into your blood and exhale carbon dioxide. Your body needs the oxygen to survive, and carbon dioxide must be removed to avoid the build-up of acid in your ...
The pressure relief technique you use will depend on your level of injury, the type of wheelchair you use and how much movement and strength you have in your arms and shoulders.
Tilting or reclining
If you are unable to perform independent pressure reliefs, you can use a power tilt wheelchair for ...
Sometimes, it can be hard for people with TBI to control their feelings. This comic talks about changes in mood or feelings that may happen after a traumatic brain injury.
Some people with TBI may have intense mood swings, anxiety, or depression. This difficulty can be caused by damage to the ...
It’s common for people with a traumatic brain injury to have trouble sleeping. This comic includes information about sleep problems after TBI and how to improve your sleep.
Sleep wake cycles may be affected by damage to certain parts of the brain. Because of this, people with TBI may have trouble ...
Many people with traumatic brain injury have headaches for some time after their injury. This comic talks about headache symptoms that often occur after a traumatic brain injury.
Headaches can get in the way of everyday activities. The infocomic includes information about four different types of headaches that people experience after ...
During a traumatic brain injury and early stages of recovery, people may experience many changes. Because of damage to the brain, they may feel confused or disoriented. Or, they may have trouble with some physical activity. Luckily, there are many types of brain injury therapies and TBI rehabilitation that can ...
People with TBI move through many stages of recovery after their injury. When TBI patients return home after their injury, they may face some unique challenges. Home life after TBI can be overwhelming or difficult, for both patients and their families and caregivers.
This infocomic, the second in a 3-part series, ...
Recovering from a traumatic brain injury is a long-term process that affects the person with TBI and their family and caregivers. This comic describes the stages of recovery and provides some strategies for managing TBI.
In the first few weeks after a brain injury, brain function is often decreased. Beyond the ...
Bowel Function After SCI Infocomic
A spinal cord injury can lead to bowel problems. This comic talks about what you need know to control bowel movements after a spinal cord injury.
Some people with SCI may experience problems moving waste through their colon, passing a stool when they do not want to, ...
Pain is an unpleasant sensation that can range from mild to severe. It is usually considered chronic when it lasts more than three months. Many people with TBI have chronic pain at some time or another. This comic helps to explain the different types of pain and their effects.
This infocomic ...