February 13, 2017

by: Blackbird

Disability Spotlight: Brain Injury

Each month we will feature a different disability represented at UCP of Greater Cleveland. Because of our name, many people think we only serve people with cerebral palsy, but we hope this series will help to dispel that myth. This month we are featuring brain injury.

UCP of Greater Cleveland has the specialized equipment and technology to serve individuals who may have experienced a brain injury.  UCP is currently serving two clients who are striving for success after enduring a brain injury later in life. 

It is very important to remember that injuries of any kind are never identical. Therefore, the side effects and treatment of any injury may not be comparable either. This is when the job of a therapist becomes the lifeline for success for a person who has suffered from a brain injury. Therapists create specialized plans for clients to help where they need it the most.  A doctor can save a life but it is up to a therapist to fix a brain after an injury has occurred.

But what exactly is a brain injury? How likely is a brain injury to occur?

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is the country’s oldest and largest nationwide brain injury advocacy organization. According to BIAA:

• More than 3.5 million children and adults sustain an acquired brain injury (ABI) each year, but the total incidence is unknown.
• An ABI is any injury to the brain that is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma.
• More than 12 million Americans live with the impact of ABI.
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a subset of ABI and is caused by trauma to the brain from an external force.
• At least 2.5 million children and adults sustain TBIs in the U.S. each year:
• The number of people who sustain TBIs and do not seek treatment is unknown.
• Every 13 seconds, someone in the U.S. sustains a TBI.
• One of every 60 people in the U.S. lives with a TBI related disability.
• There are many causes of TBI:
  • Falls – 40.5%
  • Struck by/against – 15.5%
  • Motor vehicle – 14.3%
  • Assaults – 10.7%
  • Unknown – 19%

 

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