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 ...
Read moreBy 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 ...
Read moreBy Ian Hebeisen Currently working for the Star Tribune newspaper in Minnesota, Reid Forgrave’s writing career has covered sporting events including college tournaments, NFL games, and the Summer Olympics. He writes in a long-form narrative style, making his articles engaging and engrossing. Out of all the writing he’s published, Forgrave’s ...
Read moreBy Ian Hebeisen While working on her Master’s degree, Dr. Mallory Fox studied traumatic brain injuries, sports-related injuries, and concussions. She wrote a paper on CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, in that time. Yet, despite all of her studies, Fox still struggled finding the steps to recover from her own ...
Read moreBy Ian Hebeisen Animals have aided mental health and physical therapies for decades. While dogs traditionally serve as the most common assistance animal, the roster continues expanding. Now, the list of therapy animals includes dolphins. Dr. Michael Bagnell is one such doctor working with dolphins to conduct therapy. Practicing for ...
Read moreby Ian Hebeisen In September 2012, celebrity nutrition and fitness expert JJ Virgin answered a phone call that no parent should ever receive. Her 16-year-old son, Grant, had been the victim of a hit and run car accident that left him with incredibly severe injuries. At the hospital, JJ found ...
Read moreBy Ian Hebeisen When talking with Amy Zellmer on the Faces of TBI Podcast, world-renowned guitarist McLaughlin described his focal dystonia by saying, “The trouble is in my fingers, but the problem is actually in my brain, and the inability of my brain to talk to my fingers individually.” McLaughlin ...
Read moreBy Dr. Shane Steadman, DC, DACNB, DCBCN, CNS We often think of meditation as a metaphysical or religious practice. Many use activities such as mindfulness, deep breathing, and meditation to calm down the sympathetic system (fight or flight) to help us get through the day. But what if we thought of it from a neurological […]
By Kristen Brown Creating a calm and focused mind can be tricky in today’s world, but when you tap into the power of turquoise you can bring back the mindfulness you seek. Whether you use it as a tool during meditation or yoga, wear it as jewelry, or simply keep loose stones around your house […]
By Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief Setbacks. They’re a fact of life, right? After a brain injury, setbacks can be devastating. They can feel like the end of the world, wrapping you in a feeling of isolation and despair. Throughout the course of my recovery, it was only natural that I would encounter setbacks. Most of these […]
By Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief What You Need: 1 ¼ cup (280g) tuna in olive oil, drained 1 tbsp. tomato puree 1 small red onion, finely chopped ½ Granny Smith apple 8 lettuce leaves Put the tuna and half of the oil from the can in a bowl and mix with the tomato puree. Chop the […]
By Deborah Zelinsky, O.D. “For many brain injury survivors, mindfulness is an essential practice that helps regulate their mental health, mood changes, and memory.” That comment – from the Headway Company, which works with affordable mental health services – suggests why mindfulness meditation has undergone scientific scrutiny as a technique to bring relief to patients […]
By Amy Zellmer A workout for the sole purpose of physical exercise can only provide limited health benefits. It can help you stay fit to some level and boost your serotonin levels to some points. But, when you add mindfulness into your workout, it becomes the secret ingredient to overall well-being, including physical and mental […]
By James A. Heuer, PA In recent studies, mindfulness proved to help improve the cognitive state of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients. It is said that mindfulness assists TBI patients with keeping their focus on the present moment. In short, mindfulness is the state of awareness resulting from consciously paying attention. Since healing from a […]
By Amy Zellmer “Mindfulness clears the windshield of the mind so that we can see things as they really are.” Travis Eliot What is Mindfulness? A state of nonjudgmental awareness of what’s happening in the present moment, including the awareness of one’s own thoughts, feelings, and senses. You act mindfully when you listen to a […]
By Ian Hebeisen Mindfulness comes in many shapes and forms. It doesn’t have to be hardcore meditation for a solid hour once a day – that’s simply not realistic for everybody. For some people it might be a simple prayer and reflection at the end of the day, for others it might be doodling in […]
