Wearable Technology – A New Hope for the Stoke and Brain Injury Victims

The introduction of new technology to improve motor and physical skills among the victims suffering from traumatic brain injury has been beneficial for the patients. Due to the advancement of technology victims learnt to reuse the limbs paralyzed by stroke-induced TBI or TBI and assist in stimulating muscles and nerves.

According to Bioness, manufacturers of the technology unit NESS, the wearable technology helps in the areas where the nerves and muscles have been extremely damaged due to TBI. This technology uses mild electric shocks to stimulate the nerves and muscles of the affected area, thus allowing movement.

Various hospitals including Sierra Providence Physical Rehabilitation Hospital in El Paso, Texas, have been using these products for the patients suffering from brain injuries who may need long term and short-term assistance for their brain in juries.

Some of the technologies to help the TBI victims include foot and hand rehabilitation services. The hand rehabilitation technology has a cuff molded around the wrist, forearm and hand. It consists of six electrodes that help in transmitting electronic impulses to stimulate muscles and nerves. Muscles become less stiff due to stimulation, which in turn increases the circulation and strength of the injured area.

According to the news reports, a small computer is attached to the hand rehabilitation device and is similar to a handheld gaming device. This gadget controls electric shocks.

The foot cuff wraps attached around the knee and leg is ideal for those TBI victims who suffer from foot drop. The cuff attached to a game like device uses sensors to detect the range of motion for heel and foot hitting the ground. Victims control their foot mobility through nerve stimulation.

According to a study published in the Journal of Biological Engineering, patients who are immediately treated with an injectable simple polymer, polyethylene glycol (PEG) after a head trauma have less damage than those patients who receives delayed treatment or no treatment at all.

Technology Helps TBI Victims

TBI is one of the ever-growing technologies among Americans. However, the technology has grown to include or assist the wide array of TBI side effects. Not only does the manufacturers are looking at this technology to help the TBI victims but also the scientists continue to research on alternative treatments including the recent technology led by the Nicholas Schiff of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. Weill and his team are studying the effects of electrically stimulating parts of the brain that may help in improving the TBI after effects.

Scientists use a procedure known as deep brain stimulation. In this procedure, scientists surgically implant electrodes into the affected portion of the brain. Then, they connect these electrodes to a pacemaker already implanted in the chest. Although, it is possible to turn on and off this device but once you turn on the device cell arousal occurs and with the passage of time, patient’s abilities and behavior improves gradually.

TBI Causes

Although, manufacturers, scientists and researchers continue to make strides with technological gadgets to help the brain injury patients, there are approximately 1.4 million patients suffer from TBI every year. Of these 12.4 million victims, 235,000 are hospitalized and about 50,000 die every year.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 5.4 million American suffers from prolonged TBI after affects and the medical expenses associated with TBI estimates around $ 60 billion.

Although, there are various ways in which a person can sustain a brain injury but four accidents that are responsible for most of these injuries includes the following:

• Falls accounts for 29 percent of TBI accidents
• Traffic and automobile accidents are responsible for 20 percent of the brain injury accidents
• Being stuck by or against something accounts for nineteen percent of the brain injury accidents
• Assaults accounts for 11 percent of brain injuries

Victims of TBI accident should not only seek the advice of a professional health care but also contact an experienced traumatic brain injury lawyer for developing brain injury litigation. Often, medical expenses associated with the treatment of brain injury are too costly for an individual to pay for. That is why it is important to contact an experienced TBI lawyer.

Common Treatment for TBI

There is a wide variety of treatment available for TBI victims. Moreover, scientists are conducting more research in this field. Few most common TBI treatments includes decompression or medication of the brain, surgery, although therapy and counseling, both mental and physical, are often outcomes from TBI as experimental treatments and surgeries are highly expensive.