Unpacking Fatigue
By JoAnne Silver Jones I’m an expert on fatigue. Living with TBI for 12 years, I know fatigues ebbs and flows, what mitigates and what exacerbates its intensity. I have an intimate understanding of the terrain of my fatigue...
Headache
Never Give Up Hope
Article and photos by Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief In June 2009, Kate D’Orazio flew to Mississippi to visit her husband, who was at Air Force Reserves training. After an evening of dining out and celebrating their time together, her husband...
Your Atlas: Bearing the Weight of Your World
by Kelly Harrigan Can your Atlas vertebra bear the weight of your world? Atlas was the handsome mythological gentleman who was slotted to bear the weight of the world upon his broad shoulders. Forever. Just like this myth, the...
Determining the Cause of Your Post-Traumatic Headache
by Kellie Pokrifka Headache is the most common symptom following a brain injury. In those with moderate to severe brain injury, over half of the population will suffer from headache. Interestingly, rates are even higher in populations of those...
Surviving Your Headache
by James A. Heuer, PA Our law firm helps numerous individuals who have been injured in car crashes or involved in a slip and fall resulting in a head injury. I meet with all of our clients, and I...
Whiplash and Post-Concussion Headaches
by Erik Reis, DC, DACNB, CBIS For a majority of the population, daily headaches, neck pain, and migraines are merely a theoretical event that comes up in conversations with family and friends. But for the nearly 21.2% of the...
Headaches & The Jaw: Vagus Nerve & Trigeminal Nerve
by Sharik Peck, PT Persistent debilitating headaches are a frequent complaint from those who have experienced a brain injury or concussion. The fastest way to turn off a headache is by balancing the brain. What does that mean? First,...
From Pageantry to Advocacy
by Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief When Brooke Mills competed in her teen first pageant, she had no idea that she would eventually use pageantry as a platform to raise awareness about the devastating effects of concussions. About a year after...
Post Concussive Migraines
Dr. Shane Steadman, DC, DACNB, DCBCN, CNS Headaches and migraines are one of the most common complaints following a concussion or TBI (traumatic brain injury). In fact, migraines are a common symptom even five years after concussions. Migraines are...
Alternative Therapies for Post-Traumatic Headache
by Kellie Pokrifka Many of us with post-traumatic headache are willing to try just about anything to ease our pain. The problem is that we just do not know where to start. To help reduce the burden of this...
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TBI Impairs Visualizing; Can’t Describe It, Then Can’t Share It
By Deborah Zelinsky, O.D., Founder of the Mind-Eye Institute Remez Sasson, author and creator of www.successconsciousness.com, defines visualization as “the ability to create mental images,” integrated with other sensory sensations like sounds, smells, and tastes. Visualization “means using your imagination.” This visual skill takes place internally on what Mind-Eye practitioners term a “mental desktop”, one […]
Patient-Caregiver Relationship: The Key to Successful Medical Care
by Aanika Parikh For most Americans, doctor visits are a constant in our lives, whether it be for our yearly checkups or specific medical concerns. While treatments and procedures may seem like the most important part of our medical care, we often overlook the importance of communicating with our healthcare providers. Language differences, cultural misunderstandings, […]
Yoga: Backbends
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 every pose can be modified to accommodate anyone. An […]
Caregiver Corner: Combating the Ripple Effect Through Communication
By Ian Hebeisen My mom recently described what she called “a ripple effect” resulting from her traumatic brain injury. Upon sustaining the TBI, it began affecting her life in ripples, starting at home and spreading outward. It affected life with her family and friends, then work, and so on. “It spread throughout every aspect of […]
Brain Fog: How It Can Impact Your Daily Activities
By Maci Blommel What is brain fog? Like in nature, fog impacts your ability to see while driving, and brain fog affects your brain’s ability to process information. A symptom, not a medical condition, many experience brain fog across multiple diagnoses, disorders, and conditions. Brain fog can impact one’s quality of life and ability to […]
From the Editor
By Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief As we move into fall, I feel a sense of relief knowing the air will be less humid and sticky. My favorite season, I think fall teaches us a life lesson. Even though the leaves fall from the trees and the land looks dead, there is new life forming that will […]
Lemon and Lemon Vitality® 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 and smell great with 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 […]
Persistent Neurofatigue, Most Common After TBI
By Deborah Zelinsky, O.D., Executive Research Director of the Mind-Eye Institute “I’m tired and I want to go to bed.” That second line of the 1925 song Show Me the Way to Go Home characterizes what we all recognize as normal fatigue, but fails to depict the kind of debilitating fatigue following traumatic brain injury […]
Fatigue and TBI
By James A. Heuer, PA One of the most common symptoms individuals experience after a traumatic brain injury is fatigue. Types of fatigue include and are not limited to: cognitive, mental, physical, and psychological. Reportedly, 70% of individuals with a TBI suffer from fatigue, expressing it as their most debilitating symptom post injury. Fatigue affects […]
