National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness
T.B.I.'s, Concussion & LENS Neurofeedback: Improving Your Brain Health After A TBI
In 2023, I experienced my first gnarly concussion. Do people still even remember that word? I enjoyed a lovely family time with the kids and husband at our local river. My 10-year-old daughter wanted to show me where the swinging rope was, so I followed her. My ten-year-old often reminds me how much brighter she is than me. We neared a portion with flat, slimy stones underneath a shallow part of the river. My wise 10 year tells me, "Mom, you should slide on your butt here to get down over these slippery rocks."
My Concussion Story
Of course, I respond with, "It's fine, my love. I got this." I take my first step, and my feet fly up in the air, and I land the back of my head straight onto those slimy, flat river rocks. Fast forward, I made it back hand in hand to the family with a killer headache but no open wound, so I must be doing pretty good. I pop some ibuprofen, sleep, and see my wonderful therapy clients the next day. I didn't get very far into my first session of the day without apologizing. "Gosh, I can't talk today. I'm so sorry my words just won't come together".
Something was wrong.
My Concussion Symptoms
Not being able to string words together and sounding like I had too many mango margaritas was not the only thing I was experiencing. I felt tingly all on the right side of my head and behind my ear. The top of my head felt like a bucket of ice was covering it. I felt random bouts of nausea and wondered if I was pregnant. My sleep schedule was out of wack!
I felt tired during the day and wide awake, alert, and ready to save the world from a zombie attack. Translation: I had a lot of time playing Black Ops, and since I was awake, I figured I'd sharpen my zombie-killing skills. Trying to think critically and answer direct questions took a lot of work. I also experienced random headaches throughout the day. Needless to say, I was a mess.
After my family talked me into going to the doctor, it was confirmed I had a gnarly head concussion. Below are common symptoms for concussions reported by the C.D.C.
- Headache or "pressure" in the head.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Balance problems include dizziness or double or blurry vision.
- Bothered by light or noise.
- Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy.
- Confusion, concentration, or memory problems.
- Just not "feeling right" or "feeling down."
Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list of concussion symptoms. Continuing with my story, my symptoms lasted nearly 3 weeks. But thankfully, it was not for three weeks straight. There was improvement throughout the weeks, and I'll tell you what helped my concussion improve instantly. It lasted for a while and finished in three weeks.
What Helped Me Get Through My Concussion: LENS Neurofeedback
What helped was LENS Neurofeedback. I'm sure I have your attention now, and you really want to know what LENS Neurofeedback is. I will tell you, but if you want to know more now and can't wait, click here. Before I tell you about LENS, I want to bring awareness to Traumatic Brain Injuries (T.B.I.).
What Are Traumatic Brain Injury and Acquired Brain Injuries
Concussions are a type of T.B.I.s. A TBI is an injury to the brain that changes the brain's functioning. Often, the effects are detrimental to a person's physical and mental health. A TBI does not have to be from an open head injury. You can experience an acquired brain injury (A.B.I.) or T.B.I. An A.B.I. is an injury to the brain that occurs through internal means and could be caused by any of the following:
- Stroke
- Near-drowning
- Aneurysm
- Tumor
- Infectious disease that affects the brain (i.e., meningitis, covid-19)
- Lack of oxygen supply to the brain (i.e., heart attack)
Common causes of a T.B.I. are any of the following:
- Falls
- Assaults
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Sports injuries
Either an A.B.I. or a T.B.I. can cause personality changes and or temporary or permanent disabilities. Either can also affect our mood and mental health. The C.D.C. reported that in 2020, there were approximately "214,110 TBI-related hospitalizations".
Now that you have been enlightened with education and awareness on T.B.I. and A.B.I., what else improves a person's brain functioning, mental health, and wellness after a brain injury? I touched on it early: LENS Neurofeedback.
How LENS Neurofeedback Helped Me
When I got my concussion, I waited a week before I started receiving LENS Neurofeedback. I did not know then that I didn't need to wait 7 days. I'm thankful to Daphane, an Osh LENS Neurofeedback Training Center lead trainer, who took my call when I asked her how soon I could start? This is one of the many perks of being a LENS Neurofeedback provider. I can ask questions as often as I need to. I instantly started a LENS session and, within an hour, felt as if I had no concussion. I had no headaches, lifted my mental fog, and improved my speaking ability, and that night, I slept like a baby. I continued providing myself with LENS sessions weekly and was feeling better quickly.
I can't imagine how much longer it would have taken me to return to work had it not been for LENS. In a nutshell, LENS Neurofeedback records our brain's natural biofeedback, or brainwaves, in real time and then mirrors it right back into our brain through sensors. This allows our beautiful brain to heal itself from the inside out without medication.
How Brain Waves Are Affected After A TBI
When we experience a brain injury, our brain and body work together to heal the brain. That means our brainwaves jump into action as well. When you have 5 brainwaves and want a deep dive into what they are and how they function, you can view our LENS Neurofeedback T.B.I. Webinar. However, researchers have found that T.B.I. can cause your healthy brainwave function to slow down or overact and disrupt healthy brainwave patterns and functioning.
An example is when someone experiences a concussion, you may notice they become tired or sleepy. That is because the brain injury from the concusses causes the delta waves to be highly active during waking hours. Healthy functioning Delta waves are more active during sleep because one of their many essential functions is to help us engage in deep sleep.
Remember when I said I was wide awake until 2 or 3 in the morning, saving the world from zombies? That was because my delta waves flip-flopped! So I napped during the day and was wide awake at night. After one LENS Session, my delta waves were back to normal. After three LENS Neurofeedback sessions, my brain functions felt new and improved.
Book A LENS Neurofeedback Consultation Today!
If you are interested in seeing how LENS Neurofeedback can improve your mental health, improve your wellness, and improve your life, book a consultation call, and you, our LENS providers, can help you decide if LENS Neurofeedback is a good fit for you or your loved one.
Share
If you find this information helpful, sound, or entertaining, share it! Please help us spread the word about our LENS Neurofeedback services and Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness.
#tbiawareness, #mentalhealthmatters, #truamaticbraininjuryawareness, #neurofeedback, #holisticcareforbrainhealth, #brainhealth, #healmybrain, #healyourbrain