Cognitive Rehabilitation

The Guideline for Concussion/Mild Traumatic Brain Injury & Persistent Symptoms, 3^rd edition states that patients who have:

1) comorbidities or identified health or risk factors and are not on a trajectory of improvement within the first month, or

2) persistent symptoms greater than 4 weeks post-injury, it is recommended that these patients be referred for more comprehensive interdisciplinary evaluation to specialized concussion services/clinics.

Patients who are facing difficulty focusing, complain of brain fog or other issues with processing such as after Covid, wish to excel in areas of high performance (sport) and/or wish to increase their ability to direct their attention better can also benefit. If this sounds like you, then it’s worth a visit to your friendly neighborhood occupational therapist at Leading Edge.

Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy focuses on the development of cognitive skills, which have been lost or altered as a result of neurological trauma. The aim of treatment is to improve the ability to carry out everyday tasks. The process includes development of skills through direct retraining or practicing the underlying cognitive skills, use of internal compensatory strategies, use of external aids, education about the problems, causes and implications, and application of all of this in everyday life.

CRT uses process training or practice of various cognitive tasks to optimise the ease with which functions can be performed. It uses consistent and structured activities designed to improve cognitive skills through re-routing information around non-damaged neural pathways in the brain.

Traumatic / Acquired Brain Injury
At Leading Edge Physiotherapy, we use the Brain Enhancement and Recovery System (BEARS) for treatment of traumatic and acquired brain injury. BEARS is designed to help patients do more than just compensate after brain injury. It utilizes a neuroplasticity-based, researched program designed to help everyone improve their quality of life. Neuroplasticity means that the brain can and does repair itself and change in response to damage caused by an injury or illness.

The BEARS program utilizes a 4-pillar approach which includes cognitive exercises, aerobic exercise, mindfulness, and progress tracking to help you achieve your health goals more effectively. It can help you target a wide range of cognitive challenges, including memory, reasoning, fatigue, focus, and the ability to organize and plan. It differs from other cognitive programs, in that it:
1. Addresses struggles at the root cause by retraining your brain
2. Raises return-to-work chances from about 40% to 77%
3. Provides the support needed to get better results
4. Focuses on the day-to-day experiences that you have at home and work
5. Can be done virtually from home

You can benefit from BEARS if you:
Have sustained a traumatic brain injury or concussion
Have an acquired brain injury from stroke or overdose
Are experiencing brain fog after COVID-19 infection or other illnesses
Are experiencing cognitive decline, either from aging or other causes
Struggle with anxiety or depression
Want to enhance your athletic performance
Want to enhance your cognitive performance in other areas, including work.

At Leading Edge Physiotherapy we focus on addressing your specific cognitive challenges and rebuilding your capacities through neuroplastic programming, instead of only employing compensatory strategies. The goal is to help our clients actually regain the abilities they’ve lost and improve their overall quality of life.

Instead of seeking to help you live within your newly limited capabilities, we want to help you return to succeeding in work and school, and participating in the activities you love.

YES…

Long-Covid Treatment

A growing number of people are experiencing long-lasting neurological symptoms of COVID-19. Long COVID brain fog has now become a serious health concern for those who experienced even mild symptoms when first infected. We know that finding and receiving proper treatment for this new condition can take time and resources, so we want to do our part to make you aware of an option available to you or your friends and family who may be dealing with long COVID.
The cognitive recovery and enhancement program we offer at Leading Edge Physiotherapy is designed to help people improve their brain function with neuroplasticity programming and a highly individualized, patient-led approach to cognitive care. It addresses a wide range of cognitive symptoms, many of which may be experienced with long COVID.

Cognitive symptoms of Long COVID can include:
– Inability to concentrate
– Headaches
– Confusion
– Lack of mental clarity
– Memory problems
– Mental fatigue
– Slower information processing

Meet the Director of our Cognitive Rehab Program

Lisa graduated with a Masters in Occupational Therapy from the University of Alberta, but quickly garnered further training and credentials in functional capacity evaluation, ergonomic assessment and advanced orthotic prescription. Utilizing her Matheson training, she has extensive experience providing detailed medical legal, return to work and rehabilitation functional evaluation assessments. Working closely with our vestibular experts she is also able to provide vestibular and cognitive functional assessments for those with concussion, mild traumatic brain injury, balance and/or gait dysfunctions. Lisa combines her keen observation skills with her understanding of vocational and occupational concepts to provide timely and comprehensive documentation for clients. She also has years of practice as our gait analysis expert and with thousands of assessments behind her, she brings experience and art to lower extremity issues. She has advanced training in the provision of cognitive rehabilitation for the analysis, assessment and treatment of patients who have sustained concussion and/or mild traumatic brain injury. Lisa leads a strong team of Occupational Therapists who focus on cognitive rehabilitation. Don’t spend another minute wondering, give us a call and find out for yourself.