Finding Answers Together
Typical treatments for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) often leave the patient feeling like there’s not much that can be done. Despite troubling symptoms — headaches, sleep disruption, cognitive failures, anxiety and depression — current standard of care for TBI medical treatment calls for rest, over the counter medications, and antidepressants. The medical school of thought says if there is no significant physical injury or brain swelling, there simply isn’t a lot of active treatment that can be done. Therefore, TBI patients must rest for weeks, and usually go through a gradual reintroduction of exercise and mental activity (school, work). Sometimes, physical therapy or balance therapy is necessary.
With Neuro-Laser Foundation, we will find answers together. Our expertise combines a wealth of medical knowledge with a passion for diagnosing complex psychiatric conditions. This has led us to study the effectiveness of various treatment options and modalities that complement typical medical treatments.
Psychiatric Care
The Neuro-Laser Foundation centers are able to provide specialized psychiatric evaluation, interpretation of brain scans, integration of services and treatments, and ongoing evaluation of treatment response. Dr. Theodore Henderson leads NLF’s psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. A psychiatrist will consult with you on the findings of the evaluations and documentation (studies), to determine the best mode of therapy for you. We will supervise the therapeutic treatment guidelines for your care and will also supervise your psychological care and therapy sessions. Medication changes may be recommended for symptomatic control and long term outcomes. We will review your case prior to referral for NIR Laser Therapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy, Ketamine therapy, and nutritional recommendation along with your other providers.
Neurological Services
Neurologists at the Neuro-Laser Foundation centers provide specialized neurological evaluation related to TBI, collaborative interpretation of neuroimaging, and ongoing evaluation of treatment response. Our patent-pending speciality is applying near infrared-light treatments (NILT), which has shown to be effective, according to this recently published study. The initial evaluation includes thorough neurological exam, review all relevant case records, and perform some initial psychological testing. We may order additional studies, and may perform an EEG, to determine if the electrical circuits of your brain have also been injured. We will also determine the exact type of injury: auto accident related, worker compensation injury, ballistic acoustic injury, visual involvement, abuse related, senior fall incident and PTSD or other issues. A thorough history and evaluation will be established for your injury. Any medication changes will be directed by the medical staff involved in your care, although we may make recommendations in this area. All cases involving trauma or injury will require this evaluation.
Modalities Available
The Neuro-Laser Foundation features a broad spectrum of modalities to support each patient’s treatment plan. As physicians who are passionate about finding answers for patients, we blend traditional medicine with more recent scientific discoveries shown to be successful. These may include:
- Near Infrared-Light Treatment (NILT) — Neuro-Laser Foundation honed it’s near infrared-light therapy, receiving 100% response rate among patients in a recent study. It’s one of the most exciting new treatments available today for TBI and PTSD, and we are proudly at the forefront of this breakthrough — and patent pending — method. What is NILT?
Other Modalities (in alphabetical order)
- Acupuncture — Patients treated with acupuncture report improvement in their condition. It has become a key part of several TBI treatment programs. Service members from the National Intrepid Center of Excellence with the Department of Defense rated acupuncture as one of the most useful parts of the treatment program. Current research studying the key acupuncture points which affect the vessels of the brain and the brain itself have yielded promising results.
- Brain neuroimaging — NLF is a respected leader in using various neuroimaging techniques to help identify possible biological causes for behavioral anomalies. Using advanced SPECT imaging (single photon emission computed tomography), NLF has shown to help distinguish between TBI and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which have similar symptoms, but different treatments.
How does SPECT compare to other “scans?” - Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) Recent science and testimonials demonstrate hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) to be an effective modality to increase blood flow and oxygen to the impacted areas of the brain. Through neuroimaging, we can see the difference HBOT has on the biology of the brain. But, the patients and caregivers report profound improvement to overall quality of life — particularly when HBOT is combined with NILT.
How does HBOT work? - Nutritional modification — We will recommend a diet, and supplementation for patients if the diet is interfering with progress. NLF is tracking the latest brain-focused supplements with ingredients that have a high level of scientific efficacy. One recent study helped active and retired professional football players reverse their brain damage, following specific lifestyle changes including nutrition and supplementation.
Read more about nutrition and exercise. - Psychological Evaluation — We use a series of psychological testing procedures to better understand the multi-faceted symptoms and injuries in your case. Testing of cognitive, executive function, depression and irritation, anxiety, PTSD, sleep disturbances, are some areas to be reviewed. Assignment for needed psychological care will be initiated by this evaluation. NLF uses a unique Patient Diary instrument to track patients’ psychological progress with pain, energy, and quality of life. Our Patient Diary includes:
- A simplified format asking for responses on a Likert scale.
- Tracking general health status, diet, nutrition, sleep, smoking
- Note taking freedom to explain feelings and progress regarding
- Depression, anxiety, frustration, and communication.
- Question prompts covering body aches, pains and other somatic complaints, energy, medications and OTC remedies.
- We gather the initial responses prior to commencing treatment. Then, the Patient Diary is completed on a weekly basis throughout the course of treatment. An additional diary (Spousal or significant other) may be used as well.
- Spinal Manipulation — Additional injuries generally occur from TBI incidents to the cervical and lumbar spine, knees, and extremities. Spinal manipulation, muscle stimulation and exercises are preferred treatment for these injuries, working in tandem with the other modalities. Maintaining correct alignment allows the body to operate properly. This part of our program helps restore nervous and musculoskeletal system back to normal function.
