According to the Center for Disease Control there are up to 5.3 million Americans who are affected by traumatic brain injury, (TBI), related disabilities. On average, the emergency departments report over 3 million concussions and traumatic brain injury diagnoses per year, but with unreported cases it’s closer to 5 million.
There are many factors that can impact an individual’s ability to heal from a brain trauma. Some of these factors include frank anemia, hypermobility syndromes, previous head injuries, PTSD, environmental illness, history of migraines or seizures, and ADHD or learning disabilities. Many people can have a delay in symptoms up to 15-20 years.
These symptoms can affect the hormonal system, gastrointestinal system. They can lead to autoimmune disease, mental health presentations, and co-exist with environmental illness.
Our brains are our vitality. Many practitioners state our vital force comes from our adrenals or kidneys, but our brains manage all of our organs. It is incredibly important to address both brain injury and brain health.
What Can You Do When a Brain Injury Happens?
First, for safety’s sake, if something happens, seek medical attention right away. Safely get to an emergency room and explain what happened. The trained Doctors and Nurses will do the rest.
Once you’re out of their care, here are the basic guidelines to help manage brain injuries from physical trauma, emotional trauma, and environmental illness by supporting healing and bringing down neuroinflammation.
- Address any sleep disturbance. If you aren’t sleeping, you can’t heal.
- Take out any inflammatory foods from your diet such as dairy, gluten, corn, or soy.
- Avoid lifestyle habits that increase inflammation, including cigarette smoking and alcohol.
- Balance blood sugar by eating every 2-3 hours and limiting carbohydrate intake.
If you’d like to book a Naturopathic consultation at our office in Tigard, OR, visit or call Nurture Integrative Health Clinic.