What Doctor Do I See for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?
These TBI Doctors and Healthcare Professionals Will Provide Care if You Suffer Head Trauma and Provide Evidence to Win Your Personal Injury or Workers Comp Case
You may receive medical care from multiple healthcare providers if you suffer a traumatic brain injury in a work accident or car crash. Indeed, some of our TBI clients see ten or more doctors, specialists, and therapists during their recovery.
Treating a TBI requires a team of medical professionals with different training and specialties. And each of these TBI doctors and specialists plays a role in providing the evidence needed to get the workers compensation benefits or auto accident settlement you deserve.
The purpose of this article is to explain what each of the doctors and treatment specialists you will meet with following brain trauma does. And how they can help you recover physically and emotionally.
We hope you use this information to choose the right TBI doctors after an accident. Doing so will help in two ways.
First, choosing qualified TBI doctors gives you or a loved one the best chance to regain some or all physical and cognitive functioning after a traumatic brain injury.
Second, compassionate TBI specialists can help you build a personal injury case under negligence and tort laws, qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and get a top-dollar workers compensation settlement.
Keep reading to learn more about the TBI doctors you may meet after head trauma.
And call our Virginia brain injury law firm if you have any questions: 804-251-1620 or 757-810-5614.
We are ready to start helping you and your family during this challenging time.
Types of Doctors, Counselors, and Rehabilitation Professionals Who Treat Traumatic Brain Injury
Below is a list of TBI doctors and other healthcare providers that can help you recover after a car wreck or job-related brain trauma.
Neurologist
A neurologist is a medical doctor specializing in diagnosing, treating, and managing nervous system and brain disorders. These illnesses include Alzheimer’s, migraines, headaches, multiple sclerosis, tremors, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries, brain tumors, peripheral nervous disorders (including nerve damage), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and traumatic brain injury (including post-concussive syndrome).
When you or a loved one suffers a TBI, a neurologist will likely serve as the lead physician, like your primary care physician for head trauma.
The neurologist will:
- Review your medical history to determine whether this is a sudden (acute) problem or your condition has deteriorated.
- Conduct a neurological exam to test your vision, strength, reflexes, coordination, and sensation.
- Order additional diagnostic tests, such as a CT scan or MRI.
- Refer you to specialists to conduct additional examinations, such as neuropsychological examination.
- Prescribe medication to treat your symptoms. For example, the neurologist may prescribe medication to reduce brain swelling following trauma, prevent brain inflammation, or reduce the frequency of seizures if you develop epilepsy following brain trauma.
Neurosurgeon
You may require brain surgery if you suffer head trauma resulting in internal brain bleeding, swelling, fracture, or hematoma.
A neurosurgeon will perform this surgery.
A neurosurgeon is a medical doctor who typically completes a one-year internship in general surgery followed by five to seven years in a neurosurgery residence program. Some neurosurgeons also spend time in a fellowship where they specialize in a specific area of neurosurgery.
Subspecialties of neurosurgery include:
- Endovascular Neurosurgery
- Epilepsy surgery, including resective operations.
- Neurosurgical oncology
- Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Peripheral nerve surgery
- Skull base surgery
- Stereotactic surgery
The area of your brain injured in the accident and additional injuries suffered determine what neurosurgical specialty will treat you.
Though a neurologist usually serves as the lead physician in traumatic brain injury cases that do not require surgery, such as concussion cases, a neurosurgeon usually is the lead physician if you need brain surgery.
Neuropsychologist
A neuropsychologist is a Ph.D. who specializes in studying the brain and how it affects your mood, emotions, and behavior. Because brain injuries often cause changes in concentration, thinking, memory, and personality, many TBI survivors begin seeing a neuropsychologist.
When you see the neuropsychologist, they will conduct a neuropsychological evaluation. This evaluation often involves an interview and administering several pencil and paper-type tests.
Neuropsychological tests assess your functioning in the following areas:
- Intelligence
- Attention
- Memory
- Language
- Perception
- Executive functions, such as abstraction, conceptualization, and planning
- Motivation
- Sensorimotor functions
- Personality
- Emotion
Neuropsychological tests are standardized, meaning all patients take them the same way and get scored according to the same system.
The neuropsychologist will compare your scores to those of a typical healthy person who has not suffered a TBI or been diagnosed with a medical impairment affecting cognitive performance.
Although this comparison is helpful, better evidence for your personal injury lawsuit or workers comp claim comes from comparing your post-accident neuropsychological test results to any pre-injury tests you had. A decrease in ability after a car crash or fall from a height bolsters your damages argument.
After reviewing the results of the neuropsychological examination, your neuropsychologist will make recommendations to help you cope with your symptoms. They may also provide counseling services or refer you to a counselor or therapist to help you cope with your injury and how it has changed your life.
Your neuropsychologist plays a crucial role in your personal injury or workers comp case. They can help the judge or jury understand how your changes in functioning and behavior are related to TBI.
Neuropsychiatrist
A neuropsychiatrist is a physician who treats people with behavioral or emotional problems. These healthcare professionals often prescribe medication to people with PTSD, depression, anxiety, or panic attacks following brain trauma. And they can help you find ways to enjoy life after your accident.
Your neuropsychiatrist will work closely with your neuropsychologist and counselors.
Neuroradiologist
A neuroradiologist is a doctor who specializes in looking at X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and other diagnostic imaging and determining the type of brain, spinal cord, or head and neck injury suffered. After completing a four-year radiology residency, these doctors undergo two additional years of fellowship training.
Neuroradiologists are essential witnesses in brain injury litigation because they can explain the visual evidence to the judge and jury.
And they can also explain why a normal MRI or diagnostic test doesn’t mean a TBI victim is okay or uninjured.
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician (Physiatrist or Pain Management Doctor)
An accident resulting in head trauma may also lead to pain – in your head, neck, back, shoulders, and body.
A physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor aims to restore your ability and quality of life as best possible.
These TBI doctors are similar to primary care physicians and may serve that role following brain trauma.
Otolaryngologist – Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor (ENT)
Many of you who suffer a traumatic brain injury in a motor vehicle crash or workplace accident will also suffer injuries to the front of your head, nose, neck, or throat. For example, a truck driver hurt in a collision may fracture his nose when it strikes the steering wheel.
If you suffer this type of injury and experience trouble breathing, you will likely treat with an ENT physician (an otolaryngologist).
Neuro Ophthalmologist
A neuro-ophthalmologist is an eye doctor that specializes in treating vision disorders related to the spinal cord or brain injuries.
Often head trauma survivors have problems with their vision. For example, many TBI clients experience blurred or double-vision after a head injury.
A neuro-ophthalmologist can help you treat underlying eye conditions and order glasses to help correct your vision.
Psychologist or Mental Health Counselor
A psychologist helps TBI survivors learn how to handle mental challenges post-accident.
Mental health counselors do the same.
Therapists
Many types of therapists play a role in treating TBI. And each therapist can help explain your functional limitations, pain and suffering, and medical treatment to a judge or jury if litigation is required because you will spend a lot of time with them.
For example, you may treat with:
- Occupational therapy. An occupational therapist is a health care provider that works with your physical therapist to help you regain functional abilities. In occupational therapy, you will work on kitchen safety (cooking, using a knife, spoon, and fork), bathing, dressing, grooming, reaching, and using your hands for writing, typing, and other tasks. Occupational therapists work in hospitals, acute care facilities where TBI patients go after the initial hospitalization, nursing homes, clinics, and private homes.
- Physical therapy. Your physical therapist’s goal is to help you re-learn movement and improve the use of your arms and legs so that you walk and ambulate independently after suffering a head injury.
- Speech, Language, and Swallowing Therapy: Many of you who suffer traumatic brain injury will initially have trouble swallowing and speaking. Usually, this comes from other trauma to the head and throat or because the part of the brain that controls these functions was damaged. A speech-language pathologist (speech therapist) can help you resolve these issues and improve your speech and swallowing abilities to communicate, eat, and drink independently.
- Respiratory therapy. The accident that causes brain trauma may also affect your chest, throat, and breathing ability. You may treat with a respiratory therapist trained to evaluate, treat, and care for trauma patients with breathing disorders.
- Cognitive therapy. A cognitive rehabilitation therapist helps brain injury victims improve their memory, thinking, and problem-solving skills.
- Recreational therapy. Recreational therapists help patients with head trauma build their socialization skills and find activities and community support groups.
Therapists also perform functional capacity evaluations (FCEs) after you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI) for your injuries. Other doctors use these test results to determine residual work capacity.
Social Worker
If your brain injury requires hospitalization, the hospital will likely assign you a social worker.
The social worker can help with your hospital discharge and provide a list of community organizations and resources to help with your recovery. One of their main goals is to ensure you have support when you leave the facility and are not left to fend for yourself.
Life Care Planner
In traumatic brain injury litigation, the life care planner’s role is to analyze your medical condition and determine your medical needs for the remainder of your life. Any verdict or settlement must consider the costs of your future medical expenses, home health care needs, and accommodations.
The life care planner will review your medical records, interview you and your family, and speak to your TBI treatment team. Then they will review clinical practice guidelines, project future healthcare needs, and estimate how much each needed service, medication, or test will cost.
At trial, the life care planner may testify regarding the nature and extent of your disability, your permanent restrictions, and how these restrictions and medical needs will affect you for the rest of your life.
Audiologist
An audiologist evaluates, diagnoses, and treats hearing loss and balance disorders after head trauma.
Plastic Surgeon
The accident that causes trauma to your brain may also cause cuts, scrapes, bruising, and deformity. If so, you may treat with a plastic surgeon.
Often brain injury patients do not see a plastic surgeon until at least six months after their accident. The plastic surgeon will then assess any developed scars or deformities and determine whether treatment is appropriate.
Chiropractor
A chiropractor is a health care professional trained to diagnose and treat patients whose medical problems come from the body’s muscular, nervous, and skeletal systems.
Chiropractors advocate for holistic care, focusing on a patient’s well-being using non-surgical and natural treatments and the body’s ability to adapt and recover.
A blow to the head that results in traumatic brain injury will likely cause a misalignment of the cervical spine. A chiropractor can help diagnose any problems with the cervical spine and provide treatment designed to help your body recover and reduce post-concussion syndrome symptoms.
Acupuncturist
Acupuncture is an alternative medicine that inserts thin needles into the body to reduce pain and treat underlying conditions.
At least one study has found that acupuncture can improve hypoxia and ischemia after traumatic brain injury and promote the regeneration of nerves in the injured brain tissues.
Occupational Medicine
You may see a doctor focused on return-to-work issues, particularly if you suffered a work-related TBI.
Primary Care Physician (PCP)
Significant recovery can occur in the first two years post-injury. And your primary care physician, also called a family doctor, plays a vital role in monitoring your progress.
We recommend choosing a primary care physician with experience treating brain injury patients and prescribing and monitoring medications for post-concussion syndrome.
A primary care physician with extensive experience treating brain injury patients can intervene and refer you to the appropriate specialists. This ensures that your recovery continues to progress and that you do not have a severe relapse that erases the gains you’ve made after suffering a brain injury.
Other Professionals with a Role in TBI Rehabilitation and Litigation
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
A vocational rehabilitation counselor is a person who specializes in identifying a brain injury patient’s skills and abilities to determine if the patient is capable of returning to the workforce. And, if so, what type of work may be available.
The vocational rehabilitation counselor should identify light-duty jobs that can accommodate your restrictions, school programs, and educational opportunities to help you learn new skills post-injury.
Vocational rehabilitation counselors can help explain to the judge or jury the difficulties you will have returning to work. And the amount of wage loss you will suffer if you must change careers because of personality changes or cognitive challenges related to head trauma.
Educational Consultant
In pediatric (child) TBI cases, an educational consultant can work with special education teachers to develop a customized academic plan for children who have suffered head trauma and brain injuries.
You must consider the cost of special education when negotiating a personal injury or settlement or asking the jury for a verdict at trial.
Special Education Teachers
If your child suffers from TBI, their special education teacher can promote learning and recovery.
Special education teachers work with medical providers to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each student. The IEP helps the child learn based on their specific needs.
In a child injury or birth-related neurological injury claim, special education teachers can help explain your child has (or will have) difficulty in school, including problems with attention, concentration, interacting with peers and authority figures, reading, writing, and math.
Dietitian
Depending on the extent and severity of your brain injury, you may not be as physically active as before the accident.
Decreased physical activity often leads to an increase in weight. Which then leads to other medical conditions.
To avoid gaining weight, you may meet with a dietitian or nutritionist who helps you maintain a healthy body weight even though you can’t exercise as much as you would like due to headaches or other symptoms of TBI.
Highly Ranked Attorneys to Help You Put Together a High-Quality Team of Medical Professionals That Treat TBI
As your TBI attorneys, we have two goals: (1) to help you find medical professionals with experience treating head injury and brain trauma and (2) to help you collect the compensation you deserve for your TBI – whether that includes workers compensation, monetary damages through an insurance claim or lawsuit under tort law, or SSDI or SSI payments through Social Security Disability.
Call now for a free consultation: 804-251-1620 or 757-810-5614. Let’s start on the path to recovery of your health and finances following a brain injury.
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