Our August special… will surely make you and a friend feel special. Bring in a new patient on your next visit, and get both adjustments combined for only $75! If you have a friend or loved one who has been thinking about trying chiropractic, there has never been a better time.
I’ve recently been trying to help a relative with treatment for…Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS). In the process, I did quite a bit of research on what to do. I’d like to share that information in this month’s newsletter. While not comprehensive, I was able to touch on some main aspects of the condition.
A concussion will typically occur when the head is hit by some solid object. Frequently, a person falls and hits their head. In the past, medical professionals only called it a concussion if the person lost consciousness. That is no longer the case. The most common and immediate signs of a concussion are blurred vision, unevenly dilated pupils, ringing in the ears, and nausea/vomiting. If you hit your head hard enough to lose consciousness, it is considered indicative of a more severe level of injury than if there is no loss of consciousness.
Few people know that you don’t actually have to hit your head to suffer a concussion. The design around the brain gives a cushion to deal with impact when there is a very sudden sharp movement. However, the brain can be thrown against the skull wall hard enough to cause a brain bruise. The brain does NOT have blood circulation. A series of layers
of tissue around the brain filters the blood brought to the head and delivers the necessary nutrition and oxygen to the inner layer, which is filled with what is called cerebral spinal fluid. The multi-layer system is called the blood-brain barrier. Some substances can pass through easily, but most things cannot. The brain can actually get bruised and inflamed. Because there is no actual blood circulation to the brain, the body has a limited ability to clear out the damaged tissue. If the brain should swell (which easily happens if the person has consumed alcohol), the pressure created by the confinement of the skull can cause death.
The symptoms of Post-Concussion Syndrome vary, but the more common ones are headaches, feelings of dizziness, nausea and/or vomiting, noise sensitivity (or easily upset by loud noise), sleep disturbance, fatigue, tiring more easily, irritability, easily angered, feeling depressed or tearful, feeling frustrated or impatient, forgetfulness, poor memory, poor concentration, taking longer to think, blurred vision, light sensitivity (or easily upset by bright light), and general restlessness. Amnesia and confusion right afterward are common. The length of amnesia usually correlates with the severity of the injury. Occasionally the injured person can appear stable for hours following head trauma, but especially in young people, intra-cranial pressure can develop and be life threatening. Syncope (fainting) a few minutes after head trauma may occur, which is why a person is urged to lie down following a head injury. The fainting is usually preceded by complaints of being dizzy or light headed. For the elderly, the symptoms may be very subtle. Getting a CT scan is usually advised to ascertain the status of the injury.
Here are some tips for healing PCS. I’ll start with what to avoid. Stay away from cooked oils, deep fried foods, sugar, alcohol, artificial colors, artificial flavorings or sweeteners, and caffeine in general (coffee in particular). Truly, “ditch the coffee” was emphasized. Carbohydrates that don’t have fiber will spike the blood sugar. Keep carbohydrate intake low and choose high fiber options. The research also mentioned this about hyperbaric oxygen treatment: “Hyperbaric oxygen tanks set at 2.4 is too much and doesn’t seem to help much in research trials”. Also, the drug Amantadine was less helpful than the placebo and also has side effects. It cannot be taken during flu season because it can cause hyperthermia, high fever, and malignant & painful rigidity of the muscles.
What is helpful, then? Reach for coconut oil, which has medium-chain fatty acids and metabolizes differently than other oils, maple syrup (which has healthy minerals), fruits and vegetables, cinnamon, and high-protein foods not over-cooked. Eggs and fish are literal brain food. One source suggested “Hemp Hearts” which have essential fatty acids, high protein, and are anti-inflammatory. I haven’t found any store that sells these. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory spice that crosses the blood brain barrier. Make turmeric milk, turmeric tea, and cook with it in main dishes and salads (think Indian food).
Following an injury, the brain is in survival mode and can react to non-threatening stimulus as if it were threatening. Symptoms such as racing heart, feelings of panic, anxiety, and muscle spasms can all be experienced. This would include things like ordinary muscle cramping in the calf at night, but also can occur in the back and neck. Sometimes this occurs because there are spinal and other structural misalignments and asymmetry that are not allowing the muscles to function normally. Chiropractic adjustments will help correct this problem. I personally believe that the very type of instrument adjusting that I do can alleviate any sense of panic and anxiety that could happen with a manual adjustment.
What, if any, supplements are there that might help one’s PCS recovery? Because of its ability to help prevent muscles spasms, magnesium is at the top of the list. The biology of concussion involves a cascading release of damaging calcium ions. Magnesium salts help counteract this. Magnesium is a user-friendly mineral, in that your body lets you know when it has gotten enough magnesium. When you have consumed more magnesium than you need, the body relaxes the muscles of the large intestine causing diarrhea. I recommend starting with 250mg a day and increasing your dose daily until this bodily function occurs, then back off a bit. Magnesium helps headaches, even migraines. The sulfates are necessary for proper brain function with respect to behavior and mood.
Other supplements would include omega-3 long chain fatty acids to reduce brain swelling and one tablespoon of fermented Cod liver oil per day. Cinnamon gel is a ‘no pill’ idea. Bio plasma cell salts give energy, increase concentration, and improve sleep as well as coping abilities. Arnica salts decrease inflammation and reduce swelling. Curcumin/turmeric with piperine (a form of pepper) has anti-inflammatory properties. Vitamin D3 and CoQ-10 will help the muscles recover from exertion. The heart is all muscle, and when it starts to “race” for no apparent reason, CoQ-10 will help it to recover. Resveratrol (found in red wine or Concord grape juice), vitamin C 500 to 1000 mg a day, vitamin E 1400 IU a day, melatonin, and warm baths with Epsom salts can also be helpful. The essential oil Frankincense aids in oxygenation that gets through the blood brain barrier. It helps with brain functioning and retention of information. Dab a few drops to the bridge of the nose, behind the ears, on the back of the neck, between the toes and the bottoms of feet, and reflex points on the inside of the wrists. It can also be diffused in a diffuser or steam vaporizer or put three to five drops on a handkerchief and breath in the aroma. Add ten drops to a warm bath.
Craniosacral therapy can help a great deal but will require more than one session. The bones in the skull can become jammed or shifted out of place and can result in increased pressure in the brain. There are some treatments that involve transmitting a low-level pulse of electrical current through the body, including the head, that have helped many people (but considered experimental). You can inquire at our office to learn more about these treatments.
I’ve recently been trying to help a relative with treatment for…Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS). In the process, I did quite a bit of research on what to do. I’d like to share that information in this month’s newsletter. While not comprehensive, I was able to touch on some main aspects of the condition.
A concussion will typically occur when the head is hit by some solid object. Frequently, a person falls and hits their head. In the past, medical professionals only called it a concussion if the person lost consciousness. That is no longer the case. The most common and immediate signs of a concussion are blurred vision, unevenly dilated pupils, ringing in the ears, and nausea/vomiting. If you hit your head hard enough to lose consciousness, it is considered indicative of a more severe level of injury than if there is no loss of consciousness.
Few people know that you don’t actually have to hit your head to suffer a concussion. The design around the brain gives a cushion to deal with impact when there is a very sudden sharp movement. However, the brain can be thrown against the skull wall hard enough to cause a brain bruise. The brain does NOT have blood circulation. A series of layers
of tissue around the brain filters the blood brought to the head and delivers the necessary nutrition and oxygen to the inner layer, which is filled with what is called cerebral spinal fluid. The multi-layer system is called the blood-brain barrier. Some substances can pass through easily, but most things cannot. The brain can actually get bruised and inflamed. Because there is no actual blood circulation to the brain, the body has a limited ability to clear out the damaged tissue. If the brain should swell (which easily happens if the person has consumed alcohol), the pressure created by the confinement of the skull can cause death.
The symptoms of Post-Concussion Syndrome vary, but the more common ones are headaches, feelings of dizziness, nausea and/or vomiting, noise sensitivity (or easily upset by loud noise), sleep disturbance, fatigue, tiring more easily, irritability, easily angered, feeling depressed or tearful, feeling frustrated or impatient, forgetfulness, poor memory, poor concentration, taking longer to think, blurred vision, light sensitivity (or easily upset by bright light), and general restlessness. Amnesia and confusion right afterward are common. The length of amnesia usually correlates with the severity of the injury. Occasionally the injured person can appear stable for hours following head trauma, but especially in young people, intra-cranial pressure can develop and be life threatening. Syncope (fainting) a few minutes after head trauma may occur, which is why a person is urged to lie down following a head injury. The fainting is usually preceded by complaints of being dizzy or light headed. For the elderly, the symptoms may be very subtle. Getting a CT scan is usually advised to ascertain the status of the injury.
Here are some tips for healing PCS. I’ll start with what to avoid. Stay away from cooked oils, deep fried foods, sugar, alcohol, artificial colors, artificial flavorings or sweeteners, and caffeine in general (coffee in particular). Truly, “ditch the coffee” was emphasized. Carbohydrates that don’t have fiber will spike the blood sugar. Keep carbohydrate intake low and choose high fiber options. The research also mentioned this about hyperbaric oxygen treatment: “Hyperbaric oxygen tanks set at 2.4 is too much and doesn’t seem to help much in research trials”. Also, the drug Amantadine was less helpful than the placebo and also has side effects. It cannot be taken during flu season because it can cause hyperthermia, high fever, and malignant & painful rigidity of the muscles.
What is helpful, then? Reach for coconut oil, which has medium-chain fatty acids and metabolizes differently than other oils, maple syrup (which has healthy minerals), fruits and vegetables, cinnamon, and high-protein foods not over-cooked. Eggs and fish are literal brain food. One source suggested “Hemp Hearts” which have essential fatty acids, high protein, and are anti-inflammatory. I haven’t found any store that sells these. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory spice that crosses the blood brain barrier. Make turmeric milk, turmeric tea, and cook with it in main dishes and salads (think Indian food).
Following an injury, the brain is in survival mode and can react to non-threatening stimulus as if it were threatening. Symptoms such as racing heart, feelings of panic, anxiety, and muscle spasms can all be experienced. This would include things like ordinary muscle cramping in the calf at night, but also can occur in the back and neck. Sometimes this occurs because there are spinal and other structural misalignments and asymmetry that are not allowing the muscles to function normally. Chiropractic adjustments will help correct this problem. I personally believe that the very type of instrument adjusting that I do can alleviate any sense of panic and anxiety that could happen with a manual adjustment.
What, if any, supplements are there that might help one’s PCS recovery? Because of its ability to help prevent muscles spasms, magnesium is at the top of the list. The biology of concussion involves a cascading release of damaging calcium ions. Magnesium salts help counteract this. Magnesium is a user-friendly mineral, in that your body lets you know when it has gotten enough magnesium. When you have consumed more magnesium than you need, the body relaxes the muscles of the large intestine causing diarrhea. I recommend starting with 250mg a day and increasing your dose daily until this bodily function occurs, then back off a bit. Magnesium helps headaches, even migraines. The sulfates are necessary for proper brain function with respect to behavior and mood.
Other supplements would include omega-3 long chain fatty acids to reduce brain swelling and one tablespoon of fermented Cod liver oil per day. Cinnamon gel is a ‘no pill’ idea. Bio plasma cell salts give energy, increase concentration, and improve sleep as well as coping abilities. Arnica salts decrease inflammation and reduce swelling. Curcumin/turmeric with piperine (a form of pepper) has anti-inflammatory properties. Vitamin D3 and CoQ-10 will help the muscles recover from exertion. The heart is all muscle, and when it starts to “race” for no apparent reason, CoQ-10 will help it to recover. Resveratrol (found in red wine or Concord grape juice), vitamin C 500 to 1000 mg a day, vitamin E 1400 IU a day, melatonin, and warm baths with Epsom salts can also be helpful. The essential oil Frankincense aids in oxygenation that gets through the blood brain barrier. It helps with brain functioning and retention of information. Dab a few drops to the bridge of the nose, behind the ears, on the back of the neck, between the toes and the bottoms of feet, and reflex points on the inside of the wrists. It can also be diffused in a diffuser or steam vaporizer or put three to five drops on a handkerchief and breath in the aroma. Add ten drops to a warm bath.
Craniosacral therapy can help a great deal but will require more than one session. The bones in the skull can become jammed or shifted out of place and can result in increased pressure in the brain. There are some treatments that involve transmitting a low-level pulse of electrical current through the body, including the head, that have helped many people (but considered experimental). You can inquire at our office to learn more about these treatments.