Your doctors will make recommendations for what rehabilitation types will be most effective for you. But it’s helpful to understand what is out there as you may find something that you want to learn more about.
Not every rehabilitation therapy will be available in every area. Speak with your medical team about rehabilitations available to you, and ways you can access them. In some cases, there may be online rehabilitation services that can make getting support even easier. You can also reach out to your local brain injury association about available public groups.
Please note
Not all of the therapies listed below are available publicly and may not be covered by insurance providers. This means there may be out-of-pocket costs, depending on the type of therapy you do.
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy (OT) assists with activities of daily living (ADLs) and creating a home environment that is designed to help you be as independent as possible. This includes things like:
- Eating
- Bathing
- Cleaning
- Getting dressed
- Doing homework
- Cooking
After a brain injury, these everyday activities can be more challenging. Occupational therapy could be a big help, especially if you have trouble with things like memory, attention, fine motor skills, and planning.
To start off, an occupational therapist will perform a functional assessment of you, your family, and your environment (where you spend most of your time) This could include your home and in some cases your school. They identify environmental barriers and create a plan designed specifically for you. Part of the plan is developing specific goals you want to achieve, and using tools and strategies to help you. So if you have something you’d like to work towards, occupational therapists are professionals who can help you.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy focuses on improving movement and mobility through carefully monitored physical activities. Many people who play sports or who have physical injuries do physiotherapy. A physiotherapist is a rehabilitation professional who will perform an assessment of your physical capabilities and create a treatment plan to improve strength, muscle tone, or mobility. Exercises and activities can include range of motion exercises (ROM), strengthening exercises focused on building endurance and muscle, balance exercises, and gait training to support posture and walking.
Physiotherapy can be short or long-term. You may also be given activities or exercises that you have to do between appointments. As you meet physiotherapy goals, your abilities and needs will be reassessed, and your plan adapted to make sure you continue making positive progress.
Psychological therapy
Psychological therapy – which can also be called counselling – is an excellent way to take care of your mental health and understand more about your emotions, behaviours, and thoughts. It’s also a great way to unburden yourself and receive considerate, thoughtful feedback from a professional. Counselling can be done by either a psychiatrist or a psychologist – both are licensed mental health professionals. The main difference is that a psychiatrist has trained as a medical doctor and is able to prescribe medication.
Speech and language therapy
A speech language pathologist (SLP) can help with relearning communication skills and new adaptive techniques to cope with communication challenges such as speaking, reading, and comprehension. They also help individuals who have difficulty eating and swallowing.
An SLP will perform tests in the early (acute care) stages of recovery if you’re experiencing any of these issues. It may be recommended that you continue to work with a speech language pathologist to improve speaking and swallowing abilities. This can be a long process that requires patience, and treatment will be updated on an ongoing basis.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioural therapy is rehabilitation that focuses on creating programs and activities that will help you engage in positive and productive behaviour. Cognitive behavioural therapy covers a lot of symptoms of brain injury, including neural feedback, appropriate behaviour, memory, and information processing.
Since no two brain injuries are the same, cognitive behavioural therapy doesn’t have a set program of exercises and activities. Your therapist will perform an initial assessment and set goals with you that you will work towards. Once those goals are met, new goals can be set, and the treatment plan will evolve to include activities that will help you reach those goals.
Cognitive behavioural therapy is becoming more and more common, but it is still a growing part of rehabilitation for brain injury and is not as widely available as other types of rehabilitation.
Art therapy
Art therapy involves completing art projects in a personalized program. When someone is working on a creative art project, it can stimulate multiple parts of the brain at the same time and encourage neural pathways to form. Art therapy can also improve fine motor skills, help with other cognitive challenges such as memory and attention, and improve mental health and moods. Art therapy is conducted by licensed art therapists and is normally an out-of-pocket expense.
Mindful meditation and yoga
Mindful meditation and yoga have become popular forms of therapy after brain injury. Both focus on the concept of quieting the mind, limiting outside distractions, and practicing on deep breathing.. Meditation can reduce stress and anxiety and promotes checking in with yourself, which is a great technique for calming your mind.
Yoga also reduces stress and anxiety but adds an element of physical movement. Yoga moves are designed to be adapted and taken at your own pace. There are special classes and movements designed specifically for people who need adaptations.
Music therapy
Music therapy uses music to help people with functional goals, improve mental health and cognition, and promote self-awareness and reflection. Music can be used to help with speech problems through musical vocals, motor skills through instruments, and cognition through composing. Music therapists are licensed professionals who undergo several years of training. However, music therapy is another out-of-pocket expense.
Recreational therapy
Recreational therapy uses leisure activities that a person would normally do to meet rehabilitation goals. The goal of this therapy is to help the person become as independent as possible when doing those activities. This could include walking, outdoor hobbies, arts and crafts, dancing – anything someone would normally do in their leisure time. Certified recreational therapists will use these activities to help with cognition, mental health, and even physical health if the activities are exercise-based.
Vocational rehabilitation therapy
As you age, you may want to pursue full-time or part-time work. Depending on your injury, you may have to develop new strategies to complete work-related tasks. Vocational rehabilitation therapy focuses on helping you develop those strategies to enter the workforce.
Additional rehabilitation specialists
Depending on your needs, you may work with additional rehabilitation specialists who can help you. Please note: you may not need to work with every kind of rehabilitation specialist. Doctors will make recommendations and referrals based on your needs.
Audiologist
An audiologist is a health care professional with a focus in hearing loss related to the inner ear and vestibular system. They can diagnose and recommend treatment for people with brain injury who are experiencing hearing loss.
Behaviour therapist
A behavioural therapist uses professional training to help people with behavioural challenges understand good vs. bad behaviour. The therapist will identify the problem behaviours, then outline a treatment plan based on what the person wants to achieve. While there are many different types of behavioural therapy, the therapist will help reinforce positive behaviours.
Case manager
A case manager is someone who can help you coordinate appointments and other daily activities after your brain injury, particularly if you are experiencing cognitive challenges that make planning and going to appointments difficult.
Case managers are not available everywhere in Canada and may be an out-of-pocket expense. You should speak with your physician about available rehabilitation specialists in your area and what would be right for you.
Chiropractor
Chiropractors focus on treating neuromuscular (nerve and muscle) conditions by physically working on the person’s spine. Their focus is on improving muscle and skeletal structure and reducing pain in the back and related joints. Chiropractor services can be helpful for people with lingering pain from physical injuries.
Dietitian
A dietitian is a medical professional with a degree in nutritional science. They are able to understand how food impacts health and well-being and work with individuals to create comprehensive diet plans that treat nutritional problems. Treating nutritional problems can aid in treating other conditions, such as brain injury.
Please note
There is a difference between a dietitian and nutritionist. Dietitian is a protected term in Canada, which means they need to have professional certification. Nutritionist is only a protected term in Alberta, Quebec and Nova Scotia. This means that someone may be a nutritionist in British Columbia but not have the same credentials as someone in Alberta. Dietitians of Canada has an explanation and a chart of protected titles by province/territory that can help you identify what kind of health professional to consult for dietary needs.
Ear, nose and throat doctor (ENT)
An ear, nose, and throat doctor (ENT) – officially called an otolaryngologist – is a doctor who specializes in the connected systems in the head. An ENT can diagnose and provide treatment recommendations for conditions such as hearing loss, tinnitus, sinus issues, balance problems, and swallowing difficulties.
Life care planner
A certified life care planner is someone who can help you create a plan after a life-altering event such as a brain injury. This plan can include services, supports, and costs necessary from that point on. A life care planner will perform an in-person assessment and develop a plan that will help map out future needs. This is incredibly helpful, especially if a person’s abilities to plan are compromised, or their family is worried about care, finances, and emergency planning for the future.
Life skills planner
A life skills planner is someone who is trained to teach other people how to develop and improve life skills. Life skills is a broad term used to describe any skills that are helpful in activities of daily living (ADLs). Examples of life skills include communication skills, interpersonal skills, decision-making, and taking care of a home.
Personal support worker
A personal support worker is someone who helps you with your activities of daily living (ADLs),self-care, and is either with you full or part-time in your home or at a treatment centre. Their role is to help make your day-to-day routine more manageable.
Neurologist
A neurologist is a medical health professional who specializes in treating the nervous system, which includes the brain. A neurologist is one of the physicians who would be able to make a diagnosis of brain injury and address symptoms. They also help with the management of brain injury and its symptoms through treatment and referrals to other treatment options.
Neuropsychologist
A neuropsychologist specializes in understanding how the brain and behaviours are linked. For someone with an acquired brain injury, a neuropsychologist can help determine how the injury will affect their cognitive abilities and behaviours and make recommendations for what rehabilitation could be helpful in your recovery.
Physiatrist
A physiatrist is someone who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. They can help a person with a brain injury by evaluating physical needs and making rehabilitation/treatment plans. The physiatrist can identify and make recommendations for treatment in relation to physical, cognitive, or behavioural problems that can result from a brain injury.
Respiratory therapist
A respiratory therapist is a professional that can assist with breathing difficulties. They work alongside doctors at hospitals to provide emergency respiratory care, or they can work in rehabilitation centres or at home to help people with ongoing breathing difficulties. Doctors will provide a recommendation if they think you need to see a respiratory therapist during rehabilitation.
Social worker
A social worker is a health care professional who can provide support to you by providing a variety of services based on your needs (or helping you access services). Their primary focus is improving overall well-being. A social worker can be a huge help to someone who is not sure where to find information or resources or needs someone to help support them while they look for services.
Disclaimer: There is no shortage of web-based online medical diagnostic tools, self-help or support groups, or sites that make unsubstantiated claims around diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Please note these sources may not be evidence-based, regulated or moderated properly and it is encouraged individuals seek advice and recommendations regarding diagnosis, treatment and symptom management from a regulated healthcare professional such as a physician or nurse practitioner. Individuals should be cautioned about sites that make any of the following statements or claims that:
- The product or service promises a quick fix
- Sound too good to be true
- Are dramatic or sweeping and are not supported by reputable medical and scientific organizations.
- Use of terminology such as “research is currently underway” or “preliminary research results” which indicate there is no current research.
- The results or recommendations of product or treatment are based on a single or small number of case studies and has not been peer-reviewed by external experts
- Use of testimonials from celebrities or previous clients/patients that are anecdotal and not evidence-based
Always proceed with caution and with the advice of your medical team.
