By Kara Christy, MS, OTRL, CBIS “Vision plays a dominant role in motor development and the motivation to move”. – Linda Gerra, American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference 2016 Eighty percent of all learning occurs visually. Visual dysfunction occurs in 50-70% of all acquired brain injuries, making learning new strategies ...
Read moreBy 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 ...
Read moreBy Deborah Zelinsky, O.D., Executive Research Director at The Mind-Eye Institute Healthy brains are able to interpret and respond to the environment at many different levels almost instantaneously. So, it is not surprising that patients who have sustained a traumatic head injury or concussion, which oftentimes damages or scrambles brain circuitry, ...
Read moreBy Deborah Zelinsky, O.D. Executive Research Director, Mind-Eye Institute When it comes to nutrition, the eyes have it – literally. In other words, what you put into your mouth (and thus, stomach) determines what enters your bloodstream. The blood carries oxygen, nutrients, and other needed elements to the retina (lining) of ...
Read moreby Deborah Zelinsky, O.D. Eyeglasses may improve eyesight, but will they reduce the impact traumatic brain injury can have on a patient’s sleep? Based on a growing amount of global research, including studies and clinical experience at the Mind-Eye Institute in Northbrook, Ill., the answer is “yes.” But, to understand ...
Read moreby Sierra Fawn Guay, MS, RDN, LDN Our eyes are complex organs that are responsible for communicating messages between the external world and our brains. Changes in eye function are common after brain injury. Nutrition plays an essential role in promoting eye health. The foods that we eat provide the ...
Read moreBy 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
