When you are involved in a car accident, you may suffer a brain injury due to the rapid forward or backward movement and shaking of the brain. These movements can cause the brain to strike the internal bone of the skull, resulting in bruising of the brain tissue and brain cells, or a closed brain injury.
An object such as vehicle debris can also penetrate the skull during an accident, damaging the brain (which is called a “penetrating” brain injury).
So, can a brain injury heal? Here is what you should know:
Neuroplasticity can help you heal
For a long time, scientists viewed the brain as a nonrenewable organ. Now, new studies are showing the brain can heal through some cell regrowth and neuroplasticity.
Neural networks in the brain can change through growth and reorganization, which means the brain can rewire itself to function differently in response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli. Therefore, through treatment and therapy, your brain can heal after an injury – at least, to a certain extent. However, this is not everybody’s experience, and the rewiring process may take many years.
Plus, the healing slows down after some time. This is why it’s crucial to follow your doctor’s instructions and be consistent with rehabilitation. That gives you the best chance of making a fairly good recovery.
It’s important to remember that this is not an exact process nor is it fast. That means that you will need plenty of medical care, physical therapy, occupational therapy and other treatments, all of which come at a cost. You may also be left with some lifelong disabilities given the limitations of the brain’s ability to heal after a serious injury. That makes it wise to find out more about your legal options.