Michael Schumacher No Longer Bedridden After Skiing Accident; Understanding Brain Injury Recovery Time

Formula One legend Michael Schumacher is no longer bedridden – almost 13 years after a life-changing skiing accident left him in a coma. According to news reports from England, the 57-year-old has made

significant health progress as he is now able to sit in a wheelchair. The Daily Mail journalist Jonathan McEvoy visited Schumacher’s house in Las Brisas, near Andratx (Mallorca), where he is currently living. Schumacher had a horrendous accident in Méribel, France, in December 2013, where he suffered a brain injury that put him in a coma, as he was admitted to a hospital in Lausanne. He was later moved to his residence in Gland, Switzerland. McEvoy reported that Schumacher was able to sit in a wheelchair and visit inside the £30 million property. However, he is unable to communicate with people around him, and his understanding of his surroundings is also limited. “The feeling is he understands some of the things going on around him, but probably not all of them,” Daily Mail quoted a source. “Aged 57, he cannot walk. He is, instead, pushed around the mansion in a wheelchair by nurses and therapists, part of a round-the-clock medical retinue that costs tens of thousands of pounds a week,” the report said.

What is traumatic brain injury?

According to John Hopkins, traumatic brain injury, or TBI, happens when a sudden, external, physical assault damages the brain. It is one of the most common causes of disability and death in adults across the world. Doctors call TBI a broad term that describes a vast array of injuries that happen to the brain. The damage can be focal, which means confined to one area of the brain, or diffuse, which happens in more than one area of the brain. The severity of a brain injury can range from a mild concussion to a severe injury that results in coma or even death. While there are many causes of head injury in children and adults, the most common ones are from motor vehicle accidents, where you may be either riding in the car or being struck as a pedestrian, violence, falls, or as a result of shaking a child.Also read: Why Do You Struggle to Stand Up After Sitting? Rare Neurological Disorder Explained

What does “no long bedridden” mean?

Doctors caution that not being bedridden does not necessarily mean full independence but can suggest improved posture control, assisted mobility, or the ability to sit or move with support. These milestones, while subtle to outsiders, are major achievements in severe brain injury rehabilitation.

What happens after a brain injury?

Doctors say that while some brain injuries can be mild, with symptoms disappearing over time with proper attention, many can be severe and may result in permanent disability. A few aftereffects may include:

• Coma
• Confusion
• Shortened attention span
• Memory problems and amnesia
• Loss of sense of time and space
• Paralysis or weakness
• Poor balance
• Tremors
• Swallowing problems
• Difficulty speaking and understanding speech (aphasia)
• Difficulties in understanding and responding to the nuances of social interaction
• Fatigue
• Dizziness and headache
• Loss of bowel and bladder control

Why does brain injury recovery take so long?

The Cleveland Clinic says brain injury recovery is unlike healing a broken bone or muscle. The brain controls movement, speech, memory, emotions, and vital bodily functions. When it gets injured, multiple neural networks can get affected at once, and repair depends on the brain’s ability to reorganize itself - a process known as neuroplasticity. Recovery timelines vary widely depending on:

• Severity of the injury
• Areas of the brain affected
• Age and overall health
• Speed of emergency treatment
• Access to long-term rehabilitation

In severe TBIs, recovery often unfolds over years, not months. Initial improvements may occur within the first six months to a year, but meaningful gains like regaining mobility, communication, or awareness continue well beyond that window.