From the Editor
By Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief As I sat down to write this issue's "From the Editor" section, I took some time to reflect back on my own journey, and how my memory was so severely impacted by my injury. In...
Brain Function
A Brain That Went to War and Back
By Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief Andrew Marr was an athlete his entire life. Having played all-conference football in college, he was used to performing at a high level. "I was never classified as having a concussion, but I probably had...
Memory and TBI: The Brain is a Muscle
By James Heuer, PA After suffering a TBI it is common to experience trouble with your memory. Whether your TBI was moderate or severe, you will have difficulty remembering things, finding the right words when speaking, and getting organized....
The Memory of an Ego: Transforming Memory and Identity with TBI
by Sam Black Memory is something that I did not give much thought to in my “before the accident” life. I relied on it in my career as a social worker. I cherished it in my pastime of creating...
3 Ways to Support Memory
By Dr. Shane Steadman, DC, DACNB, DCBCN, CNS As we age, becoming forgetful and losing memory is a major fear for most people. When we watch family members and friends struggle with remembering events, names, and places, it can...
The Real Reason 2020 Wasn’t So Memorable
By Ed Roth “I’ve learned two important lessons in life. I can’t recall the first one, but the second one is that I need to start writing stuff down.” – Anonymous Your memory used to be like a steel...
The Vestibular System and Memory Loss: A Hidden Connection
By Jonathan Chung, DC When we think about disorders of the vestibular system we are usually concerned with inner-ear disorders leading to problems with vertigo or imbalance. While the vestibular system is a critical part of our sense of...
Control Blood Sugar for Good Brain Health
by Sierra Fawn Guay, MS, RDN, LDN, CBIS The foods that we eat affect the health of our brains in many ways. Diet is one of the primary factors in blood sugar control and can have both short- and...
Domestic Violence: Not Just a Mental Disorder
Dr. Shane Steadman, DC, DACNB, DCBCN, CNS As the world around us is stressful with a pandemic and stay-at-home orders, the incidence of domestic violence (DV) has increased. An article titled, “Alarming trends in US domestic violence during the...
Domestic Violence and the Invisible Injuries
by Dr. Sana Khan Because of inadequate screening and identification, brain injuries and brain damage in survivors of domestic violence too often remain unrecognized and untreated. Victims of domestic violence who suffer the lasting effects of traumatic brain damage...
BLOG
Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
by Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief What You Need: 2 lbs. (900g) chicken breasts 4 bell peppers, sliced 1 red onion, sliced 2 tbsp. honey 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 lime, juice 1 tbsp. chili powder 1 tbsp. cumin 1 tbsp. paprika 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 cup chopped tomatoes […]
From Calamitous to Cannabis
By Ian Hebeisen Over her life, Nikki Lawley has sold H-Vac filtration systems, dealt cards at a casino, and started her own company, solidifying her as a true renaissance woman of the modern age. Most recently, she worked as a pediatric nurse in Buffalo – a career choice resulting in a TBI. One shift, a […]
The Curse and Blessing of Neuroplasticity After Concussion
By Jonathan Chung, DC Neuroplasticity is defined as the ability for neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. If you’ve been involved in the world of strokes and brain injuries long enough, you probably heard of neuroplasticity in the context of how it can provide hope for people to rehabilitate and […]
Busting the Neuromyth of Left-Brain Versus Right-Brain Dominance
by Dr. Amy Moore I remember calling myself a “right-brained thinker” in college because I was creative, musical, highly emotional, and full of big-picture out-of-the-box-ideas. I struggled to relate to classmates who enjoyed math. They were polar opposite left-brainers who analyzed everything. Imagine my surprise in graduate school when I found myself truly enjoying my […]
Valor® Essential Oil
By Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief Essential oils are a complementary tool that can help you achieve a healthy lifestyle. They are easy to use, smell great, and have a variety of uses. All oils are not created equal. Young Living is the only brand I personally trust because I know they have complete control over their […]
Caregiver Corner: Paying Attention to Tics and Triggers
By Ian Hebeisen Over seven years ago, my mom received a traumatic brain injury from a car accident. As a result, she sustained nerve damage that often leads to painful contortions in her arms and legs. At first, we couldn’t tell what would set off her arm spasms, but as time went on, we began […]
Yoga: Bird Dog Pose
by Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief Yoga is a powerful tool for recovery after brain injury. Contrary to some beliefs, everyone can do yoga — you don’t need to be super flexible, be able to balance, or even be able to stand up. The beauty of yoga is that every pose can be modified to accommodate anyone. […]
The Woman of Courage
By Ellen Fortini Courtad There’s something surprising about Kathy Colace Laurinaitis that she doesn’t mind sharing. The managing partner of JBN & Associates recruiting firm. She is a self-proclaimed chicken. “People know me in business, so they think I have that no-fear personality,” she confides. “But I am such a chicken. I fear bugs. I […]
Looking Through Different Glasses Can Benefit Muddled CNS
By Deborah Zelinsky, O.D. “Our entire biological system, the brain and the earth itself, work on the same frequencies,” said Nikola Tesla, the late 1800s/early 1900s inventor and electrical and mechanical engineer. But traumatic brain injury (TBI) – even a mild concussion – may knock the central nervous system (CNS) off that frequency, resulting in […]
