Treatment Centre
Neurological Teaching CentreBrain Injury
Acquired brain injury is most commonly caused by trauma to the head but can also be caused by tumour, haemorrhage and infection.
The brain is responsible for all our functions, thoughts and feelings. If the brain is damaged the specific functions which it controls will be affected. This could be memory, emotion, or speech just as much as sensation, movement, balance and coordination. Also because many functions of the Central Nervous System are integrated there may be associated symptoms not directly related to the brain injury.
Movement disorders can affect any part of the body including arms, legs, head, trunk and face. Some people may feel very tight because of increased tension in the muscles, restricting their range etc. Others may struggle to initiate movement at all.
Rehabilitation will usually start in hospital with a multi disciplinary team including physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, doctors and nurses.
Head injury rehabilitation is all about helping the patient to regain their independence within their limitations and improve their quality of life, which may also include changing their environment for example, providing special seating and communication aids etc.
Although much improvement occurs in the first year, Manchester Neurotherapy see people one, two and over 10 years down the line who will still make positive changes. This is because the brain is always capable of adaptation and one's individual experiences are part of this adaptation.
Physiotherapy plays a significant part in improving the quality of movement. As neurological physiotherapists we assess patient's abilities and analyse their movement in order to find out if they could be trained to move more efficiently e.g. with less effort, more quickly or with greater balance.
Once we identify the main interferences with easier movement we seek to change and improve these areas by, for example, reducing spasticity and facilitating more normal movement with handling and positioning.
All the physiotherapists at MNC are experienced in the treatment of all neurological conditions including head injuries.