Concussion natural healing ideas

I have a couple of friends struggling to heal from concussions who are looking for ways to support, speed up, or work around the results of concussions.

I know that brains can heal, and that they heal in several different ways, so I'll start with that. Maybe if people know more ways they can suggest them.

1. Brain cells that are injured repair themselves and start working again - this is the first process that happens over the first few weeks as swelling subsides.
2. Brain cells form new connections to work around damage in the immediate area. Heavily simplified, if you have 20 neurons that do X and 10 are killed, the dendrites from undamaged neurons may grow out to connect in new ways to other neurons to bypass the damaged ones. This takes longer than #1 - I was told months but are there things that can support that happening and help it continue for a longer period?
3. Brains can learn new pathways to bypass damaged areas. I used to work with stroke patients, so I saw this in action. Training, exercise, and a lot of willpower, but I saw patients regain skills long after any improvement from #1 was possible. I believe the old adage that brains require "work" just like muscles do to be strong, flexible and fit.

Also from my family history, I know a bit about how activities can heal brains. I have a son who had trouble crossing midline which affected his vision and his coordination and either caused or was concurrent with dyslexia. We did several "gymnastics for brains" programs including one called, Interactive Metronome, and they all helped in their own way.

What I don't know anything about are dietary, sleep, herbs, lighting etc that I know many permies know a lot about.

This thread is not about a single problem - it's about all the things that might help anyone who's suffered a head injury and is committed to getting better.

Jay, this is somewhat anecdotal, but when my cousin received a brain injury in a car crash she started using essential oils to stimulate function and healing. I talked to her during her recovery period and I can't say if it was just time or the oils or both but she went from talking slowly and erratically to fully functional. The kicker is that it took many months for her full recovery, but she was also in fairly bad shape.

I do know that essential oils can penetrate directly to the brain when inhaled or drops used sublingually. I use frankincense under my tongue and it has worked well for me without any issues. So this will take some research to find the right oils or blends but it might be worth considering.

I have brain injury problems from multiple bad head injuries, and I do vitamins for it. The idea is to give the body the nutrients it needs to do the repair work it needs to do.

Amino acids: L-Tryptophan, L-Taurine, L-Arginine, L-Glutamate, L-Carnitine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Tyrosine

Basic nutrients: Vit A, all the B vitamins (B1 especially), D3, K2, E (has a lot to do with brain!), CoQ10 (absolutely required for brain function, body slows down on making it after you are 20, by the time you are 50, most people are low, by 65 only a few  are not low)

Antioxidants: Alpha Lipoic acid, NAC (N-acetyl cysteine)

Omega 3 Oils: fish oil, coconut oil (Medium chain fatty acids are VERY important to brain health!)

If I had to pick ONE item on this list for a person to try, it would be a good quality fish oil. I have had a LOT of good results from it, and have heard many many many people say the same thing.
Having no cold water fish near me, the brand I like is Carlson, I do liquid, it's easiest for me, I buy it here   Carlson The Very Finest Fish Oil-Lemon flavored  at Swanson Vitamins The brand is available a lot of places and other sizes.  Be sure to keep liquid fish oil in the fridge. Fish oil pills are shelf stable, but the dose is low. I would have to take 8-10 pills to get the dose I like best.  

:D

Pearl Sutton wrote:

body slows down on making it after you are 20, by the time you are 50, most people are low, by 65 only a few  are not low

 I was thinking of that concept last night, but on a broader scale. I can remember reading about a Psychiatrist that helped control symptoms of Mental Illnesses by improving her patient's gut health through ferments and healthier eating. The Doctor felt that the gut/brain connection is far greater than most people give credit to and supposedly had good results with this approach with patients willing to follow their recommendations.

@ Pearl Sutton: I had to google the CoQ10 nutrient - so at my age I don't make it myself, but I do make liver pate from my own ducks that I harvest. Any quick info on whether that's likely enough?

Jay,

Sorry to hear about your friends.  I think you basically summed things up in your first post.  Brains heal, but they take their own, sweet time to do so.  After really bad concussions, sometimes complete rest is recommended, as in no lights, no reading and no music/minimal sounds.  This must be miserable, and I hope your friends are not that bad off.

But aside from maintaining overall good diet & health and avoiding re-injury, I don’t know that it is possible to actually speed up brain healing.  As far as I know, the brain is going to heal on its own time.

Maybe I am wrong, but I am thinking the best option is to avoid re-injury.

Eric

Jay Angler wrote:@ Pearl Sutton: I had to google the CoQ10 nutrient - so at my age I don't make it myself, but I do make liver pate from my own ducks that I harvest. Any quick info on whether that's likely enough?

That would depend on a lot of math: how much do you eat, how often, how much do you weigh, how old are you, what's your family history of cognitive decline as they age... etc.
I'd say it's definitely an awesome food source for it! And your fresh ducks is the best source I can think of, with what ducks eat. (At least if they have a pond and are eating water plants.)

So my answer: I dunno if it's "enough," but it's definitely one of the best sources you can get!  
:D

One supplement I would add to the list is phosphatidyl serine. I notice an uptick in alertness when I take this. My sister tried it and made her a bit too energetic but she's sensitive to most medications and supplement. I don't notice any unpleasant side effects.

My brain issues are primarily caused by autoimmune problems, but these herbs, in my experience, are incredibly helpful, regardless of the initial cause of the dysfunction:

~Tulsi/ holy basil: anti-convulsant, eases stress, promotes cell regeneration, antioxidant, boosts mental health/mental stamina, analgesic, and according to some research*, "In animal research, pretreatment along with methanol extracts of holy basil reduced brain damage brought on by decreased cerebral circulation. The foliage is a nerve tonic and in addition sharpen memory."

~ Eleuthero (formerly known as Siberian ginseng): improves memory, cognitive function, eases stress, promotes repair of neural damage, reduces inflammation

~ Gingko biloba: reduces stress, improves cognitive function, is anti-inflamatory, promotes brain development, improves circulation, reduces headaches, assists with concentration, even in cases of adhd and fibromyalgia, relieves pain

~ Gotu kola: heals nerve and brain cells, promotes brain function/ cognition/ memory, relieves stress/ anxiety, enhances mood, improves sleep, improves circulation

~ St John's Wort: powerful analgesic, relieves stress, anxiety, depression, headaches, lowers blood pressure, calms nerve pain, improves nerve regeneration, boosts dopamine production, improves sleep

I use a blend of these every day - and have done for about 9yrs, with no negative side effects, and have reduced my lupus and fibromyalgia symptoms dramatically, to the point that I manage almost all the work on my own farm, and have even gone back to work, part time. I do still have breakthrough pain and mental fog, occasionally, but mostly when I've just gone *far* beyond the point of normal function.





*https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/tulsi-tea/

I so appreciate this thread. Both I and my mom got concussions last year, her from a fall and I from a log to the head. She went to the hospital. I didn't, cause I don't have the money or insurance. Honestly, she didn't get any more support than I did. In fact, they gave her advice that could've made her brain injury worse! This isn't to say one shouldn't get checked out by a doctor, head injuries are serious! I would've gone if I had the ability.

I have been experiencing light-headedness on and off. It could be from something else, but I suspect the concussion. It's quite debilitating, as it makes me feel like I'm going to pass out. It's quite distinct from dizziness or vertigo, which I've also experienced from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

I've mostly just been maintaining a good diet, lots of veggies, healthy fats and avoiding inflammatory foods. I also take a B vitamin complex and magnesium. I often drink various herbal concoctions infusions and teas. Nettles, milky oats, and tulsi are usually in there for the nervous system support, among other things. Immediately after the injury, I did take some CBD supplements to bring down the inflammation and for the neuroprotective effects. I still take them sometimes.

These guys are amazing, they're my go to for any physical issues I'm having. I actually hadn't considered that they might have exercises for this, so I'm glad this inspired me to look!


This one has stretches and exercises to help with headaches that might result from head injury.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QRnfPrso0c

Sometimes head injury can lead to BPPV, so here's a video about how to treat that at home too. This worked instantly for me and was so incredibly easy. Best if you can have someone help you, just to be super safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzLWOX770i4&t=603s

This is what I can recall reading, regarding brain health:
Veganism in the longterm is very damaging. (talking from own experience, also many other ex-vegans can testify on this issue. Also, many studies have found that young vegan children developed more slowly both physically and especially mentally).
Avoid soy.
Food to incorporate: paleo foods, bone broth and maybe some organ meat from high quality meat, wild meat and wild caught fish.
Avoid wireless and other electromagnetic pollution.
There are quite some mental disorders that are aggravated by wheat/flour.
Aluminium, heavy metals, they often get stuck in the brain. Never cook with aluminium pots or low quality "stainless steel". Personally I prefer enamel or glass, but just make sure that your cooking pots are of high quality. Try detoxing with herbs. I always get crazy headaches when I eat very big amounts of coriander/cilantro, when the metals are moving from their deep location in the brain it can cause headaches, so dont expect to feel great immediately. You know what they say, before you feel better, you feel worse, sounds weird, but has to be  proven right to me.
Good luck with you search and healing:)

Try reading Science and Health, with key to the scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, or call a Christian Science Practitioner. You may be able to go to the Christian Science web site and look up healings of concussion . I have read of this.

I am currently dealing with a major concussion, and the only thing that has really made a difference in getting me back on my feet has been physical therapy. The best thing about physical therapy is that it's tailored exactly to your brain, and is a completely natural way to heal! There are no "magic drugs" that can heal a concussion. This includes pharmaceutical drugs as well as naturopathy drugs. Basically, you have to keep gently pushing your brain so it can target repairs more effectively, but don't overdo it because you can cause a relapse and those suck (Ask me how I know!).

First, a bit about the brain and concussions. The brain is not very well organized, so damage in one area is likely to cause multiple, seemingly unconnected symptoms. But there are areas that, broadly speaking, do take on certain physiological or behavioral tasks. When a traumatic injury occurs to the brain, such as a concussion, there is often a main area that has been bruised or damaged, and a secondary area. These damaged locations are usually opposite from each other, as a result from the brain hitting the skull during the first phase of injury and then rebounding to the opposite end of the skull during the second phase (Kind of like if you've ever been in a car that stops suddenly while you were wearing your seatbelt. The sudden stop from the car pushes your body forward, but the seatbelt catches your chest and then throws you backwards.). Brains are also slow to finish healing, because they don't have direct access to blood (there's a blood-brain barrier). If the concussion is moderate, it could still take you six months to heal. There's no safe way to fast-track your brain into quick healing, and be very suspicious of anyone trying to tell you otherwise.

For my own concussion, I fell backwards onto the corner of a TV stand. I hit the base of my skull just to the right of my spinal column. This area of the brain deals with vision, particularly vision coming from my left eye and the left field of vision. My brain rebounded and hit the upper left front of my brain (just above my eye) against my skull. My symptoms were most strongly concentrated on visual issues as well as emotional control and decision making. The concussion was bad enough that my partner took me to the hospital to make sure that my skull wasn't fractured (It helps that we're going to grad school in Canada, so we don't need to worry too much about medical bills).

While at the hospital, I was told by the doctor that there's really nothing that can be done to directly help the brain, only indirect things. I was told to avoid looking at screens and reading from books until my symptoms had subsided for over 24 hours, and to get lots of sleep. They could prescribe drugs to help me with sleeping, and Tylenol to help with the headache, but that was basically it. Three months later, I still couldn't use screens and I was just barely able to read a book with only a slight increase from the constant headache and eyeache that started with my concussion. Since I'm trying to finish up grad school and write my thesis, I need to be able to use my laptop. I talked to my family doctor, and she recommended physical and occupational therapy.

Basically, while your brain is able to make repairs after injury, it's pretty conservative and doesn't want to have to use more energy than necessary to repair parts that you're not using. In order to promote effective healing, you must spend a small portion of every day working on activities that bring on your symptoms. However, you must not push it too far, as that can slow down your healing. There's a sweet spot, and I've found that physical therapy helps me identify that sweet spot.

If going to physical therapy once a week is too costly, I still highly recommend setting up two or three appointments. An accredited physical therapist will be able to help you pinpoint exactly what areas need the most help, as well as show you how to exercise those parts of your brain without overdoing it. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! You should be able to do your brain exercises every day without feeling worse and worse each day. If you're feeling worse, you are overdoing it and it will take even longer to heal. If you keep pushing yourself too far, you'll have a relapse and basically need to start all over. PLEASE PLEASE see a physical therapist at least once for intake! From experience, you will feel awful afterwards, because that first appointment is meant to find out all your symptoms and get a good baseline. It shows you how far you can push yourself to promote healing, and how far is too far. I highly recommend having someone else drive you to and from the physical therapist's office, as you may find driving back home extremely difficult (and if your injury is vision related, it could be dangerous).

To accompany your brain's hard work, you need to get plenty of good sleep and eat high fat and protein foods to give your brain energy. I ended up eating too many carbs at first and got fat, lol. Supporting good sleep is crucial to healing, as your brain gets a break from outside stimuli and can focus internally on fixing itself. Eating lots of protein and fat gives your body the tools and energy it needs to repair the damage. You don't need as much carbohydrates as you think, but complex carbohydrates also provide necessary molecules for healing. Avoid overeating simple carbs like processed sugar.

The last thing is to be patient with yourself. It took me 8 months before I was able to produce work I was proud of. Part of the reason it took me so long was because I spent the first four months pushing myself too hard. It took four months of physical and occupational therapy to get me back on my feet. I'm still healing, but my therapists have both told me that I now have all the skills I need to complete my recovery on my own.

I really hope this helps!

Pearl Sutton wrote:I have brain injury problems from multiple bad head injuries, and I do vitamins for it. The idea is to give the body the nutrients it needs to do the repair work it needs to do.

Here is a nice article that backs up what you said with some study results: https://ilchiro.org/hit-in-the-head-concussed-there-is-more-to-do-than-rest/

One thing not on your list and only mentioned briefly in the article is Lion's Mane mushrooms--they are well-documented for improving brain and neural health. I take a supplement (2 capsules/day) from fungi.com. I imagine there are a lot of mushrooms to consider. Psilocybes helps in forming new synapses, I believe. My brother started micro-dosing with it a few times a week about 1.5 years ago and has reported improved brain function (and a sudden disappearance of seasonal depression).

I am so happy to see this thread, at this moment my husband is in ICU with a stroke.
Thank you to everyone who is sharing. This is wonderful information.

I just purchased my mom some Lion's Mane extract from Mushroommountain.com.  I was told that brain damaged mice who were fed Lion's Mane for 6 months had no evidence (during a brain scan) of the brain damage. It is a mushroom with neural regenerative properties.  My mom had a mini stroke a couple years ago and sometimes has trouble "finding" a word. I figured it couldn't hurt to try. She has been taking it for a week so I dont have a lot of time to say how much she has improved. But I do feel like during this past week she has not had as much trouble finding her words.
I will echo the earlier post that said fish oil. My sister told me a while back that there is a fish oil protocol  (pretty sure she used it when her son got a concussion). And I agree with the post about avoiding re-injury. A second concussion is usually WAAAAAAAAY worse than the first. So try especially hard to avoid that.
Best of luck to everyone dealing with head-injuries.

I’m about 4 months post-concussion and still dealing with some minor symptoms. Since it’s my third, recovery has been very slow and frustrating, and I most likely will struggle with the cognitive symptoms (concentration, memory, problem solving) for the foreseeable future.

The biggest things that helped me recover in the first two months were supplements and osteopathy.
I went and saw an osteopath who was trained on concussion/brain trauma about once/twice a week for just over a month.

While this is no where near an affordable option for most, it was astounding how much it helped. I was told that concussions basically cause your head and neck muscles to fire and activate when they aren’t needed, which adds to pain, headaches, etc.
Just to have the tension released and given info on stretching and such was a major relief for me.
He also gave me some exercises that involved strengthening my balance and eye function mainly in regards to using my peripherals. These included standing on one foot while looking at points on a wall clockwise in a circle.

The supplements I took were lion’s mane, turmeric, a B complex, vit D, and omega 3’s. These definitely helped with overall brain function and inflammation. I also tried to keep a high protein and low inflammatory diet.

I didn’t drink alcohol for just over two months but used CBD and THC, mainly for pain management and sleep. I think CBD can be very helpful and I should have had a bit less THC over that time but that’s neither here nor there.

Avoiding re-injury is huge and I’m probably not the best to talk to for that as I’m now back into playing varsity men’s volleyball lol but I’m being as careful as possible.

I was originally told at the hospital to adhere to the “cocoon method” which is essentially no screens, no activity, tons of rest until you feel better. while in the first few weeks that was about all I could do anyway, I wish I had learnt that isn’t the best treatment anymore. I went almost two months with no more exercise than 10 minute walks near the end, and learnt that actually getting back into activity and thinking can be the best thing for your brain. I was told I could do anything unless it brought on considerable symptoms, so at that point I started getting back into it.

As many people have said, the brain heals on it’s own accord and there really isn’t much we can do aside from rest and supporting it’s health as much as possible.

First, avoid re-injury especially before you are symptom free.  
Some useful herbs: per Matthew Wood yarrow should ALWAYS be given to someone with stroke no matter the cause.  I was just this week doing research on migraines as we are frequently asked for help with this and came across this article on Wood Betony which is classically used in concussion: http://herbcraft.org/betony.html.  And I ditto the above recommendation for Lions Mane for brain health and healing.  
But I must reiterate the first: avoid re-injury.  I have cared for formerly healthy sixteen year olds who will now wear diapers and never be older than two due to a second injury.  
Pic is Lions Mane growing on the table.

Jay Angler wrote:I have a couple of friends struggling to heal from concussions who are looking for ways to support, speed up, or work around the results of concussions.

I know that brains can heal, and that they heal in several different ways, so I'll start with that. Maybe if people know more ways they can suggest them.

1. Brain cells that are injured repair themselves and start working again - this is the first process that happens over the first few weeks as swelling subsides.
2. Brain cells form new connections to work around damage in the immediate area. Heavily simplified, if you have 20 neurons that do X and 10 are killed, the dendrites from undamaged neurons may grow out to connect in new ways to other neurons to bypass the damaged ones. This takes longer than #1 - I was told months but are there things that can support that happening and help it continue for a longer period?
3. Brains can learn new pathways to bypass damaged areas. I used to work with stroke patients, so I saw this in action. Training, exercise, and a lot of willpower, but I saw patients regain skills long after any improvement from #1 was possible. I believe the old adage that brains require "work" just like muscles do to be strong, flexible and fit.

Also from my family history, I know a bit about how activities can heal brains. I have a son who had trouble crossing midline which affected his vision and his coordination and either caused or was concurrent with dyslexia. We did several "gymnastics for brains" programs including one called, Interactive Metronome, and they all helped in their own way.

What I don't know anything about are dietary, sleep, herbs, lighting etc that I know many permies know a lot about.

This thread is not about a single problem - it's about all the things that might help anyone who's suffered a head injury and is committed to getting better.

Sorry that you /anyone has a need to even ask these types of questions.

In terms of natural healing, are you familiar with the EARTHING or the act of being GROUNDED as lifestyle or therapeutics?

HERE are TWO documentaries that may help you learn if this is something worth considering for yourself and others who understand the relationship between earth and people has been interfered with, and we enveloped in the human body miss the benefits from not being earthed on a regular basis, ESPECIALLY when we IDENTIFY THAT WE HAVE INFLAMATION e.g. from injury or otherwise.  These documentaries are long, not merely dry with detail more about exploring the truth about what our bodies need, and empowering ourselves.

Grounding - All about earthing - a documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRW0XO2xWn4
and
The Earthing Movie - the remarkable science of grounding - a documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44ddtR0XDVU


Personal recovery story with using EARTHING products.
In summary: i bought an earthing mattress cover and I inserted a mat (they are thin) for onto of my pillow, so when I sleep I am being earthed.  And I am a new functional body again because of this. Thank God for simplicity.

Longer Version:
I am NOT a products person. I dont by gadgets or have to have all the mod cons etc etc (well hence I am meeting you on this type of website! LOL)
But I became quite desperate when a knee injury from three years earlier was still giving my grief and it was like I was reliving the old injury again, it would not let up.
Physios had no answers, until they said are you taking anti-inflammatory tabs. Well that was revolutionising to take them. I was a brand new human!!  But that did not solve this undergirding complaint (need for complete healing) and I did not want to rely on tablets for my life or even a year.  I just don/t take pills or potions etc.

A dear friend who nursed my complaints of how it interfered with my functionality, and I was going mad in the process, sent me one of the EARTHING documentaries.
I looked up HOW TO BE EARTHED and bought a MATTRESS COVER for my bed, and another mat, that you are meant to sit on or feet rest on it or under your wrists when you are typing etc, but I put it inside my pillow case over my pillow.  The mattress cover was first. Maybe a week later I introduced the pillow for earthing my face/head etc.

I was in physical pain and inflammation was evident around my knee. It was debilitating and distracting, feelings of hopelessness and being aged before my time!
The week that my products arrived in the mail, was the first appointment with a sports physician who specialises in knees.  She offered me little hope, except a script for better anti-inflams.  I went home and took my existing anti inflams for 3 days then stopped. From that point on I hoped the earthing would help.

I decided to just pause and see if the earthing changed anything. I set it up and observed.
After the first two nights using the earthing mat under my head at night, left me in the morning with my mind thinking clearly and more alive and not so weighted.
And each week my knee was improving no end.
We are in covid lockdown still to some degrees today, but then it was stricter, although I was allowed to go to work, but some times I could not work because of the knee. So the normal exercising etc etc was not happening, and the only intervention that remains in place today, is the earthing products and I am able to get out into my yard as I am today and resigning so labour intensive activities.  This time three months ago, I was near given up hope for change it was so constant and so consuming.

As I said, i thank God of simplicity, of just getting in touch with planet earth.

I hope this helps someone if not you and your friends.

I also have experienced multiple head (and other body) trauma and have been dealing with long term effects. A couple things I have noticed, which seem to be common:
1) I have developed food allergies;
2) I occasionally have trouble with balance, and until I figured out the triggers (food related and electronics), I kept falling;
3) I NEED Nature-too much external human derived stimuli makes me irritable, have headaches, and become physically ill. The stimuli are particularly noise related and flashing lights (especially blue).

Some items that help me:
-taking baths,
-taking naps in a quiet area,
-spending time with animals.

As for regaining memory/rewriting neural pathways, I read a book years ago that helped me. It was called The Memory Palace. It describes visualizing memories in your brain into related rooms, floors, etc. it really helped me! Before my big accident, I had an eidetic memory. Afterwards, I couldn’t remember a grocery list for five minutes. My memory is much improved now.

Hyperbaric oxygen is a great brain healer, if one can afford it; hydrogen, whether orally or inhalation is a great antioxidant; craniosacral therapy can unwind the trauma and move stuckness....deal also with the emotional aspect of the trauma, since that affects the mind which effects the brain....

I too have had multiple concussions and had all the signs of early onset dementia in my 40s. I agree with most of the advice listed, especially the whole foods diet as that has been really good for me. The only piece of advice that was missing was avoiding processed sugars and flours as well as artificial sweeteners. I have been to be very careful to add a protein with a healthy fat, to every meal since I deal with chronic pain and inflammation. I also practice intermittent fasting or time restricted eating and this has helped with energy and weight control. The only other thing that I believe has made a tremendous difference is in really immersing myself in my faith and finding a sense of peace that had been sadly lacking in my life. I will pray for your healing, enjoy the journey!

This is a great post.  I’m a COVID long hauler.  Have been struggling to recover since March 2020 (1.5 years) and one thing COVID does is damage your brain.  The damage it does is similar to a concussion. Infact, many long haulers have found doctors who are treating them for concussions.  those of us who aren’t getting help from doctors are using everything described above.  Two things that haven’t been mentioned yet are lymphatic message and grounding. Lymphatic message to get the fluids out of your brain and grounding for inflammation. Both sound a little  hokey but have really helped me in different stages of my recovery.

Just read through a couple more responses and would like to add my experience with herbs. I have also found great relief through herbs and diet choice, so much so that I started an herbal tea/blends company because of it!
The emotional component of brain trauma has come up a few times. It definitely has impacted me in a variety of ways! Emotions are often not discussed enough in the healing process. Make sure you have sympathetic friends/family to help you through this component of the healing process.
And lastly, there is a psychological/spiritual component to the healing process too, especially if you experienced a near death experience. I find that the British do the best job at having a balanced, not too woo-woo approach to these aspects.

Hey All - Looks like everything has been pretty well covered, but I just wanted to reiterate a couple things for good measure. My wife had a major concussion a few years ago and was pretty disabled for about a year.

- She somehow got lucky and met with this concussion specialist who works with the Bengals. He really emphasized the importance of including fat in her diet. Interestingly, he encouraged her to be sure to get good amounts of what we'd normally think of as both healthy and unhealthy fat - e.g., he suggested she cook with suet at least some of the time. Aside from that he just encouraged a whole food diet with lots of fruits and veggies and low sugar. I'm pretty sure I've seen research recently linking gut health (of which low sugar is a huge part) to cognitive function, so I'll add my own emphasis to that last piece.

- Someone talked about patience. I could not encourage that more. Mary made very slow progress for months, and then when we were getting close to a year she just shot up to near pre-injury functioning over the course of about a month. I'll say more related to this but make it its own bullet:

- I cannot overemphasize attention to the interconnections between body, mind, and spirit on this issue. People with brain injury are at higher risk of mental health concerns, both emotionally/psychologically and physiologically, yet stress/anxiety/depression/etc. also exacerbate many of the symptoms of brain injury. I saw this first-hand with Mare and see it with patients all the time (I'm a psychologist). I believe (idk either way if there's research on this part) that stress/anxiety/depression/etc. not only exacerbate the symptoms but even impair healing/recovery. I would strongly recommend that anyone who is suffering from concussion/brain injury see a mental health provider; any approach is probably better than nothing but I'd encourage finding someone who says they use "ACT" or "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy"). If you're not up for that, a couple self-help books that would probably be good for this (or anything honestly) are "The Happiness Trap" by Russ Harris or "A Liberated Mind" by Steven C. Hayes.  

-

Most interesting posts.  My health issues are huge EMF sensitivity, a damaged spine from a car accident, and an overall weak system, all of which I work on daily while maintaining a normal lifestyle as much as I can.

I believe concussions fall into what most health issues are about once you are past the original injury or event: healing and maintaining. I can see a dramatic difference in both when I consume lots of organic greens and vegetables. Yes, people have posted notes on "diet". But I mean a very active consumption of healthy plant foods. I do eat some organic meats and eggs, but nothing heals EMF damage (which is obviously affecting my brain), cuts or bruises, flu, old injuries etc., etc. on me as does consuming greens, either fresh in salads or lightly steamed.  

Keeping up my ph by consuming healthy plant food more than makes up for the hard work (and often resulting pain I have to manage) that I put in to maintain an actively producing year-round garden.

check out dr daniel amen.  youtube would be my best bet.  saw him on pbs one time.  may have bought his book, change your brain change your life.

"The Concussion repair manual" by Dr Dan Engle

I would recommend a few therapies. Acupuncture can be incredibly helpful. Frequency specific microcurrent I'd also highly recommend. EMDR therapy after you've done some base level healing.

And remember, adequate hydration with good water, sunlight, and bare feet on the ground as much as possible.

If you'd like to work together privately my website is ConnerKees.com and everything I do is on a donation basis. No contribution is too small and no one is turned away.

Cheers, much love, and many blessings.

The things I've found indicate it matters whether it's a new concussion or old, but that generally two options that are good are:

- Hyperbaric Oxygen (natural ingredients if not a natural mechanism)
- And the pairing of flushing niacin with niacin

It also said the underlying principle is to reduce inflammation as quickly as possible. So I understand that fish oil and curcumin will also help that.

Jay Angler wrote:Pearl Sutton wrote:

body slows down on making it after you are 20, by the time you are 50, most people are low, by 65 only a few  are not low

 I was thinking of that concept last night, but on a broader scale. I can remember reading about a Psychiatrist that helped control symptoms of Mental Illnesses by improving her patient's gut health through ferments and healthier eating. The Doctor felt that the gut/brain connection is far greater than most people give credit to and supposedly had good results with this approach with patients willing to follow their recommendations.

@ Pearl Sutton: I had to google the CoQ10 nutrient - so at my age I don't make it myself, but I do make liver pate from my own ducks that I harvest. Any quick info on whether that's likely enough?

I have a book here that's all about how the gut influences the brain and what is healthy food for the brain. Lots of recipes with explanation. But this book is written in Dutch (by Rineke Dijkinga), not translated in English.

To help with healing, eating only fruit and also fasting, with just water or no food will help.  You could start off by eating 75% raw fruits and veggies, and then work up to 100% raw fruit and veggies and then to 100% fruit. Especially eating lots of different kinds of berries. Berries help the brain.  You are looking for regeneration. So in order to do that, you must feed the body what it needs and take botanicals to help the structure and function of tissues.  Also, there are herbal formulas that will assist. Dr. Robert Morse ND, has a website. The formulas that will help are as follows: Kidney 3 and Kidney 4, Lymphatic 1, Endocrine Balance, Circulation, and Brain and Nerve.  The website is: drmorsesherbalhealthclub.com. He also has a youtube channel, if you are interested in learning more about regenerative detoxification. God speed

LIONS MANE MUSHROOM.  After my husband had a stroke, two separate friends from different parts of my life found me to say they'd heard, and to please start giving him this mushroom right away.  I did, and I had already been making careful observation of his increases and plateaus in healing... and this accelerated it.  Since then I've also read from Paul Stamets... yep, it's a brain-booster.  He's almost 4 years from his TBI and still healing (because brains are huge and complex,) and he's still on Lions Mane and when we run out/ forget, he stagnates again.  

I also concur with eating as little carbs and sugars as possible.  I brought him homemade chicken broth and avocados* when he was in rehab under their terrible processed/ high-sugar diet.  When he left there and I could feed him all his meals, he also improved.

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*I starred "avocados" because there's terrible habitat loss in Mexico associated with their farming.  "Associates" of avocado farmers murdered the caretaker of a monarch butterfly refuge who was actively protesting and preventing the razing of monarch habitat to make more avocado farms.

And here is a powerful and very comforting healing system. The Solfeggio 9 tone musical frequencies that go back to Gregorian chant times and earlier. Google it. Lots of them for free on You Tube. You'll find a million descriptions of the Solfeggio--far too many of them presented by shysters who simply have jumped on an easy way to make money and present it all as "mystical".  

I know that kept me away from it for a year after my MD who practices traditional as well as alternative medicine suggested to me for spinal injury pain. He has suggested various hertzes for various injuries or illnesses. I don't always follow what he says as I find some of the repeating Tibetan bowl humming, etc. just too  irritating. And, the 1970's "speed trip" videos designed for brain healing are just too wacky and dizzying for me.

I do best with soothing music and nature videos which are incredibly soothing and healing for me. The one linked below is stunningly beautiful on the ground and drone video of Norway with and overlay of 528 hz music. I start and end my day with some stretches, tai chi and about a half hour of this video. If you research, some of the hz's are said to be helpful with healing concussions.  There is also a Hawaii video one I like from this company as well.

Don't get hooked into any site where they are selling them and a "consultation". I like those (like this one) presented by the Nature Healing Society (Norway based) which are free on You Tube and presented in a giving, healthy, loving way. You have to listen (or you can quickly skip over) an ad at the beginning of the music video and then it runs for a few hours. If I'm going through a particularly stressful time or can't go to sleep, I turn this on and let it play for hours as background music. In the beginning, I could only listen to a half hour or less and I went on overload. I think this was a healing period. Now I crave it daily for a joyful interlude in my day.

Click on the arrow to start video, use the "box" icon in the corner of the video to enlarge to your whole screen, then move your cursor down to the bottom of your screen so it is out of the way...and enjoy!

Really can't recommend this video enough for coping with any illness, event or daily life...

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+nature+healing+society+music&&view=detail&mid=FBAAB56DCDDE33401031FBAAB56DCDDE33401031&&FORM=VDRVSR

I just recently bought "Herbal Medicine For Preppers, Homesteaders and Permaculture People" by Judson Carroll. I became acquainted with him an another permaculture forum and didn't have to consider very long before buying the book. Available here in pdf format, but also available elsewhere in paperback. https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2021/10/herbal-medicine-for-preppers.html

He covers traditional German herbal healing along with his own extensive Appalachian mountain herbal knowledge. Lots of help in dealing with first aid, injuries, etc. I highly recommend getting the book and reading up on his recommendations for concussions.

as a cranioscral therapist i worked successfully (meaning their symptoms cleared quickly) on a lot of folks with concussion.  i also had a major stroke and got help from both acupuncture and homeopathy.

Lion’s Mane helps regenerate brain cells.

Cordyceps helps reverse brain cell aging.

Someone mentioned fish oil. Omega-3 DHA helps with myelination, that is, forming the fatty insulative layer around neural cells. This is found in cold-water fatty fishes (like tuna), but they get it from algea. If you are eating a plant-based diet or boycotting the fishing industry, there are algae-oil sources of Omega-3 DHA.

Omega-3 EHA does something a bit different — works with heart cells. I found that when the ratio between DHA and EHA is off, I get moodier, towards depression.

Omega-3 ALA is found in abundance in plants like chia and flax seeds. The body can convert them to Omega-3 DHA, but it takes energy and requires sufficient intake of the right minerals and vitamins so that the body can make the enzymes that converts ALA. You’ll see products sold on stores that deceptively market a lot of “Omega-3”, but they are talking about ALA.

I forgot what ALA itself does off the top of my head, but it too is important for overall health.

Chickens can convert Omega-3 ALA into DHA if you feed them enough flax seed. If I remember correctly, there is an increase of 100 mg of DHA per egg yolk to 150mg of DHA.

Dosage varies with people, and it is possible to take in too much; the early stage symptom is insomnia. I take in about 750mg of DHA a day (in fish oil pill form) along with Lion’s Mane and Cordycep in extract form, along with several other mushrooms (like Reishi and Turkey Tail, for immune support) in my pseudo-coffee (burdock and roasted barley).

in reading about gut health and body healing, i am reminded that growing food with microbes whether by innoculating with microbes or not tilling, keeping all gound covered at all times, planting with 20 to 30 different plants.  too much feeding of the plants stops the microbes and mycorrhizals.   in short  regenerative agriculture, gives us gut health, stops diseases chronic or acute in their tracks.

I agree with many of the supplements offered here, particularly Lions Mane, fish oil, CoQ-10 and NAC.
Reduce inflammation with turmeric (plant or supplement form), ibuprofen, whatever you use to decrease inflammation.  I like to make "golden milk"
One of the most useful supports for brain injury is craniosacral therapy (CST).  I speak as a practitioner and as a recipient of CST.  CST helps to ease the bones back into their proper alignment, especially useful if concussion came from a blow to the head, which can cause misalignment.  It also helps to heal the brain by soothing and reducing inflammation.  Find a practitioner who specializes in brain injury, but even the most rudimentary care is helpful.
Chiropractic can also be helpful by relieving pressure and misalignment of neck bones, occiput, and spine.  
Best to avoid reading, electronic media, loud noises, or bright lights.
Be kind to your head and brain.  
Don't force participation or work if able to avoid.  Your brain needs rest, quiet, peace.  
I am wishing your friends well.  A lot of western medicine states that after (6 or 12 or 18) months, everything is healed but that isn't necessarily true.  Brains take a lot of time and love and peace to heal.  They keep on healing and generating new tissue.  We just need to give them the support and time required.
Best wishes!