March is Brain Injury Awareness Month—a time to highlight the impact of traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, and the importance of prevention and care.
Across the United States, at least 2.8 million people sustain a TBI each year. About one in 60 Americans lives with a permanent brain injury-related disability, according to the CDC.
At Franklin General Hospital, physical therapist and athletic trainer Keith Wrich (RICK) tells RadioOnTheGo News these injuries can happen in an instant—but have lasting effects.
“Essentially, it’s anything that is disrupting that normal function of the brain,” Wrich says. “A concussion typically is a minor traumatic brain injury where there’s a chemical change in the brain. If you think about a community that’s been hit by a severe storm, a part of town that the streets are all covered with debris and there’s poor communication, so to speak. You can’t get the vehicles up and down the streets, but other parts of the towns trying to help out. So other parts of the brain that are still functioning decent are trying to help out, just clean up those poor connections that are going on in the brain. Essentially, it’s just this dumping of chemicals uncontrollably, and that can give us our symptoms that we get with those types of injuries.”
TBIs are often caused by falls, car crashes, sports injuries, or violence. While some may seem mild at first, even a concussion is a form of brain injury and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Wrich says there are visible signs people can watch for immediately after a hit to the head—including something known as the “fencing response.”
“So in that moment, we’re able to visibly see it is severe enough that the brain is not functioning properly and those extremities are stuck in a position where they’re not getting a clear signal on what they’re supposed to be doing,” Wrich says. “So they’re stuck in that static position until everything calms down enough. And of course, medical professionals getting out on the field quickly to make sure that they’re monitoring things and stabilizing the neck and head area and making sure that they’re getting proper care.”
The fencing response is an involuntary reflex where one arm extends while the other bends, often appearing right after a traumatic impact. Experts say it can be a clear indicator that the brain has experienced trauma.
When it comes to suspected concussions, Wrich says early diagnosis and treatment can make a significant difference in recovery, and awareness is key to preventing more serious, long-term effects.
Full interview below
