• Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Archives
  • Directory
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
The Brain Health Magazine
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Archives
  • Directory
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
The Brain Health Magazine
No Result
View All Result

Thinking Outside the Brain: Trent McEntire’s Journey

How a late diagnosis changed his life

in Nervous System, Podcast, Survivor
May 20, 2022
0
Thinking Outside the Brain: Trent McEntire’s Journey

By Ian Hebeisen

Trent McEntire lived an active childhood, despite experiencing chronic pain and stiffness. Whenever he found a physical task daunting or challenging, McEntire would find ways to accommodate the sport to fit his needs. He played basketball, went cycling, and in time took up dance. “When I got into dance, it felt good in my body because there’s so much mobility work, there’s so much stretching,” said McEntire.

He attended Western Michigan University to study dance. But after one particularly grueling rehearsal, McEntire woke up barely able to walk. “I had so much pain and inflammation from my knees down, that I hobbled to the shower to get water on it to try to mobilize a little bit,” said McEntire. “I thought, ‘this feels bigger than just being a sore athlete in the morning. This might prevent me from being able to pursue my professional career – even finish my degree.”

McEntire returned home and lamented to his mother, who revealed for the first time in McEntire’s life that he was born with cerebral palsy – a condition where a child is born with a brain injury, effecting development and movement.

“I was 19 when I found out,” said McEntire. “First, I was really mad, because I would have liked to have known. But truly, in hindsight, it was a gift to not know, because I didn’t have a label.”

Working hard on his degree, McEntire managed to become the first in his family to graduate from a four-year college. Part of his studies included movement science, Laban movement analysis, kinesiology, and anatomy. Using his training, McEntire began helping other people recover their mobility.

McEntire began collaborating with Pilates instructors due to their expertise in assessing conditions, and  seeing clients based on referrals. “Our clients fall into what I call ‘the movement gap’, where they’re done with the medical system, their PT or OT, but they haven’t quite gotten the quality of life back and they can’t return to activities that they want to do.” McEntire begins by getting to know the client, taking them out for lunch to learn about their experience, and playing a few games to gauge the client’s conditions.

At first, McEntire applied the methods that previously worked for him. “My clients became guinea pigs,” he said. “Then there started to be published books about the brain and neuroplasticity and sensory training.” Using this new information, McEntire adapted his methods, shifting towards a “whole brain” approach.

The whole brain approach looks at three of the body’s main inputs: proprioception, the visual system, and the vestibular system. Proprioception relates to nerve endings, muscles, and joints – tissues we can see, move, and touch within the body. The visual system regulates the stimuli from our eyes, and the vestibular system, located within the inner ear, manages balance. “Those three input systems become a powerful way to make changes and have this whole brain approach,” said McEntire.

Many of the methods involve playing games specifically designed to treat a patient’s ailments. By tricking the brain into having fun with brain exercises, the brain focuses on the exercise with greater ease. “In an environment where clients might be coming in with a very serious condition, and you can help them have fun while they’re recovering, you actually get more momentum,” said McEntire.

“The approach that I’m taking is actually how we’re designed to move, build patterns, make correction, and get improvements,” said McEntire. He now teaches his movement methods to clients and professionals around the world, hoping to help other people reclaim their quality of life. “I think one of the ways to help patients and clients is educating them. They really appreciate someone who’s being an advocate for them, because they don’t know what they don’t know.”

Reflecting on his diagnosis of cerebral palsy, McEntire acknowledges how the condition set him on his current path. “It didn’t stop me. It turned into what would become 25 years of helping people recover their own movement abilities and biohacking the brain.”

McEntire currently operates out of Michigan. You can visit his website at fireupyourbrain.com. To listen to the whole conversation, listen to the Faces of TBI Podcast on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Ian Hebeisen is a writer based in the Twin Cities. Graduating in 2020 with a degree in Literature with a Writing Emphasis, Ian spends his time writing for The Brain Health Magazine and JUVEN Press. He also writes comics, zines, short stories, and poetry. He lives with his partner and two cats, and enjoys playing board games and reading. 

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare Via EmailPinterest
Next Post
Clarity® Essential Oil

Clarity® Essential Oil

SIGN UP

BLOG

Yoga: Seated Cobra Pose

Yoga: Seated Cobra Pose

By Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief Yoga is a powerful tool for neuroplasticity. 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 important aspect of […]

Read more
Resilience After a Brain Injury

Resilience After a Brain Injury

By Dr. Shane Steadman, DC, DACNB, DCBCN, CNS Recovery after a brain injury can be a long journey. Working hard and hoping to get back to baseline often can be frustrating, and for some, unattainable. With the many doctor visits, exercises, rehab appointments, medications, and supplements, goals can become lost. However, amid recovering from a […]

Read more
The Resiliency of the Human Brain and Body

The Resiliency of the Human Brain and Body

By James A. Heuer, PA As a personal injury attorney for over 45 years, I have witnessed many of my clients successfully recover from a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Whether the TBI occurs from a car crash, a slip and fall, or blow to the head, the resiliency of the human body and brain is […]

Read more
Resiliency: Is It Just Personal or Part of Brain Chemistry?

Resiliency: Is It Just Personal or Part of Brain Chemistry?

By Deborah Zelinsky, O.D. The term resiliency encompasses “the range of personal protective factors, environmental supports, and resources, as well as self-regulatory processes, engaged in response to adversity,” according to investigators writing about recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI) for the publication Disability and Rehabilitation. Indeed, author Mike Norton  said it best when he wrote, […]

Read more
Stress Away Essential Oil

Stress Away Essential Oil

By Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief A complementary tool that can help you achieve a healthy lifestyle, essential oils are easy to use and smell great, with a variety of uses. All oils are not created equal. I personally only trust the Young Living brand because I know they maintain complete control over their product from seed […]

Read more
Resiliency and the Courtroom

Resiliency and the Courtroom

By Jeff Heller Resiliency is one of the greatest attributes anyone can have. From an early age, parents teach their children, “if you get knocked down, you get back up.” Coaches teach their players, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” And one of the cornerstones of the underdog mentality is to “never […]

Read more
The Quality of Resilience

The Quality of Resilience

by Shauna Hahn Sometime in 2019, in the weekly “Healing and Recovery” therapy group I lead, we discussed the topic of the quality of “resilience.” When it came time for a patient to contribute, he said, “I don’t want to be resilient. I get tired of being resilient all the f**king time.” And I heard […]

Read more
Peanut Butter Protein Fluff

Peanut Butter Protein Fluff

By Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief What You Need: 1 cup (250g) full-fat Greek yogurt 2 tbsp. peanut butter or almond butter 2 tsp. stevia Favorite garnish (banana, granola, blueberries) Add the yogurt, nut butter and stevia into a small mixing bowl and whisk together using a hand mixer, until fluffy. Transfer the mix into a bowl […]

Read more
Arizona Man Overcomes Three Traumatic Brain Injuries and Gives Back By Building Adaptive Recreation & Socialization Program for Survivors

Arizona Man Overcomes Three Traumatic Brain Injuries and Gives Back By Building Adaptive Recreation & Socialization Program for Survivors

By Ed Roth Randy Elston is finally living his best life, which may be an odd thing to say about a Marine Corps veteran with three traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Recently named as the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona’s new Adaptive Recreation & Activities Coordinator, Randy’s tours of duty in Iraq left him with a […]

Read more

INSTAGRAM

Follow Us!

    The Instagram Access Token is expired, Go to the Customizer > JNews : Social, Like & View > Instagram Feed Setting, to refresh it.

© Copyright 2019 | The Brain Health Magazine

  • Advertise With Us
  • Submission Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Contact Us

DISCLAIMER: THIS MAGAZINE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE - View PDF

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Archives
  • Directory
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used.