Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects more than 1.7million people in the United States each year, including almost a half million children. 52,000 people die from it each year. This is a cause for attention.
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS
March is brain injury awareness month. And on May 3-4, the 2012 Washington Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Conference will be held at the Marriott Hotel near the Seatac International Airport. This annual event is fairly new to Washington State. This is the fourth one of its kind. The sponsors of this special event are Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and the Washington state TBI Strategic Partnership Advisory Council. Conference partners include Brain Injury Association of Washington (BIAWA), B.E.S.T, People First of Washington, and TBI Survivors Network.
There will be doctors with PhD's, musicians, artists, vendors, and volunteers who give alternative treatments such as reiki, massage, and healing touch. Caregivers, survivors, teachers, and other professionals are encouraged to attend. The workshops are usually about cognitive rehab, grief and loss, peer monitoring for adults, youth with TBI transitioning to the community, and research on soldiers and military vets.
CAUSES OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
Adults suffer head injuries most frequently due to falls, motor vehicle crashes, colliding or being struck by an object, and assaults. Falls and being struck are the most common causes of head injury in children. (National traumatic brain injury estimates from the CDC)
The body and the brain change chemistry after a traumatic brain injury. This is caused by physical damage to the brain. During the first few days, weeks, or months, the individual can be confused, disorientated, and not able to make functional decisions. They suffer memory loss, agitation, and personality changes.
Traumatic brain injury causes permanent life changes. It is very important that a survivor have close and loving relationships as this aide to a faster recovery. Most people can lead functional and satisfying lives if they receive functional assistance.
ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
There is no cure for a brain injury. There is no specific prescription that can heal a brain injury. However, studies show that acupuncture, cranial sacral massage, reiki, chiropractic, massage, and other alternative methods help positively and support the TBI individuals' needs of becoming whole again.
Facilitate Healing with Supplements
A proper nutritional diet is very important to heal your brain. Studies have shown that B complex vitamins, flax seeds, fish oil, vitamin E, and exercise help to facilitate healing and returning to possibly "normal" cognitive function.
Improve Energy Flow with Reiki
Testimonials have been written about Reiki healing the brain injury deficits. A person's life force is what nourishes our organs and cells of the body. Sometimes, a life event can disrupt the flow of our life force. When our life force is disrupted it can cause diminished functions to our bodies and inhibit healing.
Reiki heals by flowing through affected areas of our body and charges them with positive energy. It raises the vibratory level of the energy field in and around the body. It then, causes the negative energy to simply break away. Reiki clears, straightens, and heals the energy pathway and allows the life force to flow in a healthy and natural way.
Reiki is safe and very gentle. Common benefits include relaxation, pain management, reduced anxiety, reduced depression, improved sleep, improved digestion, enhanced well being, stronger self esteem, greater self awareness, and a heightened intuition.
"After Reiki I know peace, I can cope with whatever problems I come up at work, I meditate with Gusto, and I was able to nurse my mother for the last 6 weeks of her life with love and devotion".- Andrea Stillman
Promote Brain Health by Getting Rid of Toxins
To live simply and as natural as we can, and rid our bodies of toxins is very important for brain health. Try to clean with all natural ingredients. Use natural and possibly organic cleansers on your body, household cleansers, laundry, and what you put into your body.
Create Healing Environment with Love
Did you know that terminally ill patients have been known to show a greater chance to recover the more positive they are. Did you know that when you call your loved ones, on the phone, or tell them that you are thinking of them, and send them positive energy, it could actually help someone's suffering? It could actually help their chances of improved recovery, or provide them with comfort. Distant healing, Reiki 2, can be very healing. It's like others that pray for people when they aren't around their loved one.
Having a brain injury is very isolating because first of all, no one can see your impairment, and secondly, people don't understand. TBI survivors have low energy, mood changes, and are easily agitated. Having a loving and supportive environment is such a gift to someone with a brain injury. Love is what heals. TBI and other neurological problems demand compassion and respect. Many TBI survivors actually possess strong spiritual, creative and healing gifts, and offer dramatic differences in our world.
The power of love is able to heal the energy in our bodies.
Nourish the Soul, Body, and Mind with Meditation & Music
Meditation is a way to heal. To be with nature, and to be in the present moment, helps with TBI and recovery. Our lives can be so busy with people, work, appointments, kids, and responsibilities. It is important that we have the ability and time to relax. This promotes health, happiness, and well being.
Did you know that music can "heal the soul"? Music has been known to improve math skills, induce sleep, improve energy, and helps with memory and attention span. Mozart music is exceptional for left and right brain function. It is used for pain therapy, reduces blood pressure, and helps with chronic headaches. Jazz and classical music helps post- stroke victims with spatial and temporal reasoning, and emotions, and verbal memory.
Music boosts the immune system and lifts our spirits.
AWARENESS DRIVES ACCEPTANCE
The more awareness we have to people with brain injuries, the more understanding and compassion people have, the more involved survivors can be in the community, like volunteering, having sustainable jobs, and much more confidence in their lives. They would have more joy and fulfillment in their lives.
I know these methods work, because, I am a survivor.
References:
Emedexpert.com About.com Holistic health limited Ezinearticles.com Astralboobaby.net Reikiinmedicine.org Healthguidence.org
Tawnya Padilla is a traumatic brain injury survivor. She is the owner of Emergent Distributing.
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