Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic Brain Injury/Concussion Protocol
Week 1Goals: Increase blood volume to brain, reduce inflammation, and repair cell membranes. No excitotoxins (fake sugars, aspartame/sorbitol, etc MSG) or alcohol. No/Limit sugar.
In the first 4 days do not stop inflammation, no Ibuprofen/Advil/Motrin, Turmeric, Fish oils, etc. Inflammation is part of the healing process and we don’t want any blood thinning effects of the meds.
Brain Rest- no physical activity, reading, computer, smart phone, etc. Sleep/rest as much as possible. Book tapes OK. Avoid bright lights, LEDs, screens, social activities, and brain stimulation.
Consider: Reducing carbohydrates/grains, no sugars. Increase fat and protein.
Homeopathics: Ideally work with a homeopath to get the specific remedy. Contact us for referrals. A general remedy is Arnica Montana 200c or 1M. Take 3-5 pellets once or twice over a day then discontinue.
Supplements from Apex Energetics, available at our office or online, Adult doses (kids do ½ to ⅓ dose):
Day 1-3: Neuro O2 to increase blood flow (1 cap, two to three times a day with food).
CONSIDER CRANIAL SACRAL AND CHIROPRACTIC CARE around day 4.
Day 4-5: Add essential fatty acids (Fish Oil, 2,000mg, like Brain DHA from Apex) to to re-build the cell membranes. 1 cap twice a day.
Day 6: Continue protocol
Week 2: Goals: Save brain cells, retrieve and activate neural pathways. Still no screens, movies, phones, reading until end of second week. Sleep and rest as much as possible. Mild exercise like walking on flat surfaces should be OK.
Monitor patient for balance, eye speed, and cognition. Symptoms of head pain, dizziness, blurred vision, fatigue, headache, loss of cognition and thinking capacity, light sensitivity, and brain fog.
Day 7: Add Magnesium Theonate (OptiMag Neuro by Xymogen) 1 scoop twice a day.
Day 8/9/10/11/12/13: add in mild eye exercises for vestibular system (google it), continue until Day 14
Week 3 Goals: There should be no more headaches, eye pain, fatigue, blurry vision, disorientation, but if there is, continue resting and stay on protocol. If you increase your activity level and get a headache, etc., your brain is not yet healed. Can return to full activity but with no impact.
Stay on treatment plan for 6 weeks. No body contact sports for 4-6 weeks. If everything is fully recovered by 4-6 weeks patient is discharged to resume regular sports/activities.
If another head injury occurs within 3 months, the patient shall not play contact sports again for a year to ensure proper brain healing. Concussions can take up to a year to heal. They can also injure your pituitary gland if there was whiplash, which can cause thyroid and other hormone problems. If you have persistent fatigue or notice weight gain, hair loss, constipation, menstrual irregularities, etc ask us or your doctor to order thyroid tests.
Also, persistent head symptoms may be a result of neck injury/imbalance or cranial bone imbalance. Call our office for a chiropractic or cranial appointment.
To order supplements at 10% discont visit our online store at www.heatherhuntdc.com/shop
TIME: It is hard to gauge healing time exactly so the above recommendations are general. Please use below chart to monitor and error on the side of caution and rest until this checklist is clear.
