NeuroTalk Support Groups - Does the Cerebellum repair itself?

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- - Does the Cerebellum repair itself? (https://www.neurotalk.org/traumatic-brain-injury-and-post-concussion-syndrome/91996-cerebellum-repair.html)

thank you for your words

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho (Post 532949)

Different brain functions have different abilities to accommodate injuries. Speech and Occupational therapy can sometimes help the brain redesignate the area that handles a specific task.

Have you had therapy past the basics of relearning to walk? Higher level functioning therapy is less available.

What tasks do yoy do to challenge your balance and equilibrium functions? If you only notice these problems sometimes, then just going on with life will probably not lead to improvement. If you can identify where these dysfunctions are most common, then those are the areas where you need to push the limits.

I have word finding problems. My wife can often help me find the word or others will say they understand what I am trying to say and give me grace to not finish the thought. For me, I need to continue to try to find the word because it is mental exercise that may someday allow me to get some word finding functions back.

Are there balance and equilibrium tasks that you can practice in a safe environment?

I sometimes have balance problems. For me, it is usually a problem with concentration. If I stop and get focused, I can usually overcome the balance problem.

The easiest way to understand it is like this. Those of us with a brain injury and dysfunction have a limited amount of brain cells to use to accomplish tasks. If we are using too many for intellectual thought, less are available for balance and motor function. Visual or auditory distractions can often cause a weakness in other functions.

So, when we become aware of a weak function like balance or such, we need to analyze our mental work load and see if we can reduce it. When we do this self analysis, we can start to recognize patterns where we get overloaded. Now, we can start to develop disciplines to keep the mental work load at a manageable level.

Some call it the "I need to stop to think" problem.

When I have these periods (frequently), I stop, reduce my workload, focus on the task at hand, plan my next move or series of moves, and usually can go on with the task.

I am easily startled. This can leave me in mental chaos. Sometimes, I need to close my eyes to reduce the visual workload. I often use ear plugs to reduce the auditory workload.

Everybody will have different aspects of this problem. If you struggle to figure out work-arounds or other accommodations, post up here and let us help.

Thank you for your words...they helped me a lot. Some of the things you say hapens to me frequently.

Welcome, Luisfern :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndromedaJulie (Post 1132408)

Welcome, Luisfern :)

:) Thanks for wellcoming me in.
I had a terrible accident 7 years ago that left me with a sereve injury in the brain(cerebellum).A severe disorder in balance and equilibrium.
I am looking for balance and equilibrium tasks that i can practice.
I´ve made physiotherapy for 5 years(wich helped me a lot...(the 1st day i got there i was in a weel chair) , regular and basic physical exercices. But now i can do all of those , so i´m at the gym.
I´ve been also in the swimming pool in a class with people that got accidents.
What more can i do in addition to the gym , wich i´m in??
My cells(in the cerebellum) died :( .
I apreciate all your opinions,advices.
Since the accident every nights when i lay my head in my pillow i pray and think..."i´ve had 17 brain injuries (talk , write , vision...and i recover all...but this one in the cerebellum, is stubborn!!!
And I also think the same as you... "will I ever get my balance and equilibrium back?...That is my life wish!.
After the accident i was 15 days in coma , 1 month in ICU and 4,5 months in the hospital. In the end i was desperate to get out.
I was engaged and was going to marry just before having the accident , after that we´ve been together for 2,5 years , but i didn´t want to marry and got distant and sad with my self and my physical reality and we broke up.
The photo in my profile its just before the accident , but my physical appearance kept mostly the same (although i´ve a big scar cause i broke my leg in 2 places from the foot to the knee and i have a scar on the chest ,that fortunately the hairs cover it , cause i have a mitral valve (tic tac...you know? its like a portable watch...i always know what time it is :),just below the heart?).
But this is all ok and doesn´t bother me at all...on the contrary!...its better, cause i don´t get tired!
The problem that bothers me is , although I do not drink....i´m drunk 24/7 ... everydays!. The other day a old lady passed by me and spoke to her self out loud "What a waste! , such handsome and young man has gotten in to drinking". This is what people think.
Whenever i walk , i climb stairs or try to run...i got drunk! Thats the best real example to give u!
When i am standing and stopped...i´m not!!...everythings ok.
And i never feel dizyy not even when walking or running...just unbalanced!
The only time that i stay more unbalanced than usual is when i smoke a cigarette(i only smoke 4 a day , after meals...honestly!).
I stay unbalanced , not dizzy for about 2,3 or 4 min , then i get back to "normal".
I know i shouldn´t do it , but can you give me your opinion why this happens?

Thanks , and nice to talk about this! :)

Hello Luisfern,
Welcome to the NeuroTalk Support Groups!

I'm sorry that you were so badly injured but from what you have said, you have made enormous progress in your recovery so far. Well done.

I'm also sorry that you have to deal with ignorant people who make comments like that. Sadly it happens to a lot of people with many different conditions. It's just lack of knowledge and they should know better than to comment out loud.

There are different reasons some of us have vertigo or gait problems. In your case it is known that your cerebellum was injured. I would imagine your Physiotherapist would be able to give you tasks or exercises that are targeted for your individual situation.

Balance problems after TBI - Brainline

These are some very simple balance exercises - I have vertigo and balance issues myself so just be careful not to lose your balance doing them.

https://go4life.nia.nih.gov/exercises/heel-toe-walk
https://go4life.nia.nih.gov/exercises/stand-one-foot
https://go4life.nia.nih.gov/exercises/balance-walk
https://go4life.nia.nih.gov/exercises/tai-chi

Check out the 'Sticky' threads at the top of the forum if you can. There is a wealth of information in those.

You can also use the
Forum Search Feature
to find older threads and posts here. Just type in a keyword and click on the TBI/PCS forum in the list and click 'Search Now'. e.g. you could search cerebellum or balance etc..

take care of yourself.