What is a traumatic brain injury?
A traumatic brain injury is damage to the brain from a blow, a fall or a sudden jolt to the head. Road accidents, falls at home and falls at work are common causes.
It ranges from a mild concussion to a severe injury that needs weeks in hospital. Recovery depends on the area of the brain affected, the person’s age and health, and the rehabilitation that follows.
What can a physiotherapist help with?
Physiotherapy handles movement, balance and fitness. The other parts of recovery, such as memory, language, mood and daily tasks, belong to the doctor, occupational therapist, speech therapist and psychologist.
For the movement side we work on:
- Weakness or stiffness in an arm or a leg.
- Balance, unsteady walking and falls.
- Dizziness related to head and neck movement or the inner ear.
- Clumsy coordination in the hands and feet.
- Getting up, sitting down, transfers and stairs.
- Fatigue, with a gradual return to fitness.
- Neck pain and headaches linked to the injury, after medical clearance.
Our page on neurological rehabilitation shows how this fits with other conditions.
What does recovery look like?
Recovery follows no straight line. There are quick gains in the early weeks, then slower progress, and good days that are followed by flat ones.
Tiredness is real. A brain that is healing uses more energy for everyday tasks, so a short walk or a visit from relatives can drain a person. Pacing is part of the treatment, not a sign of weakness.
How do heat and fatigue matter in Ipoh?
Hot, humid afternoons make neurological symptoms feel heavier. We plan the main exercise for the cooler part of the day, such as the morning, and keep water and rest breaks within reach.
Short sessions, repeated, work better than one long push. Stay in the shade, wear light clothes and avoid exercising in the hottest hours. If dizziness or headache rises in the heat, stop and rest.
What does a home visit involve?
The first visit is calm and unhurried.
- We read the discharge summary and ask about the injury, seizures, medicines and what the doctor has advised.
- We talk to the person and the family about what is hardest each day.
- We test balance, strength, coordination, walking and dizziness.
- We look at the home for falls risks and plan safe practice.
- We start gentle treatment and set a few goals together.
Later visits build the programme, and we teach the family helper how to support practice without taking over. Dizziness from the inner ear is covered on our page about vertigo and BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo).
What should the family watch for?
Tell the doctor about worsening headache, repeated vomiting, new weakness, double vision, unusual drowsiness or confusion. If any of these appear suddenly, or the person has a seizure or a fall with a new head knock, go to the emergency department.
Behaviour changes, forgetfulness and mood swings are part of recovery for some people. Keep a short diary of what you see and share it with the doctor. If you are the carer, look after your own rest and back too; see caregiver strain and back care.
Who else belongs on the team?
A good plan has more than one profession. Your hospital doctor or rehabilitation physician leads, and the occupational therapist works on daily tasks, work and driving readiness. A speech therapist helps with language and swallowing, and a psychologist supports mood and thinking.
We coordinate with them, share what we see at home and follow the plan you were given. If the person has spent time in intensive care, see recovery after a stay in the intensive care unit (ICU).
How do we arrange it?
Home physiotherapy across Ipoh is available now, and our Canning Garden centre near Fatimah Hospital is opening soon. Message us with when the injury happened, the hospital, and what the person can do now.
We reply with how a first visit would run and a quote. Home and centre prices differ, and no price list is published yet. For a general picture of home visits, see home physiotherapy in Ipoh.