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Hey ya’ll!
Well here we are again! I hope all is well with you. It’s sure been an interesting ride lately hasn’t it? This
month I am going to revisit something I have talked about before. That is brain injuries. I just spent a few
days in Washington DC with a psychiatrist where I learned a little about this subject. It seems that there is
some current research being done on the subject of brain injuries as a result of sports injuries. What they are
starting to see is that these injuries build up over the years. Another study was done on soccer players several
years ago looking at the same thing. What was found then was that injuries to the brain are what are called
cumulative, that is one injury will build upon the one before.
This doctor’s office focuses on a special type of CAT scan to look at the brain. It will show areas of previous
injury to the brain when the brain is at rest. There is no real action being taken by the brain, so to speak.
Another scan that is done is one in which the brain is put under stress by taking a concentration test. This
second type of scan shows where the brain starts to break down and not work as well when under a stress.
These scans are used to help diagnose things like manic-depressive disorder, ADHD, autism among other
things that can go wrong with the brain. I was impressed though, with the idea of being able to see where a
brain has had an injury. The scan I was looking at that day showed an area at the front of the brain that looked
like a little dent. The doctor said that probably was where an impact from a fall might have been. Interestingly
enough that person had suffered a concussion from an impact to the forehead several years earlier. The area
was not significant enough to cause any problems but was good to note for future reference. This is
especially true if there is another head injury later on. This scan can also show when the brain has had damage
done by chemical and other toxicities. These toxins can be from alcohol or drug abuse or they can be from
environmental toxins. These environmental toxins can be things like chemicals inhaled from truck exhaust,
household cleaners, bug sprays, weed killer and who knows what else. These injuries to the brain can cause
the brain to start breaking down when it’s required work hard. This “breaking down” can lead to things like
slow learning disabilities and a whole list of other problems.
Sometimes the brain will be in overdrive all the time. This might be the person who can’t sit still. It may be the
person always talks even when it’s not appropriate. Sometimes this overdrive type of brain function can cause
a person to not be able to slow down enough to even be able to read a book. It’s like their brain works hard all
the time no matter if they are resting or taking a test. We all usually call this person “hyper”. Problem is they
are trying to slow down to our speed but their brain can’t slow down that much and they wind up being
frustrated with their life because they aren’t what we call “normal”.
I know it doesn’t sound all that important when I say to keep track of any head injuries and to take them
seriously, but I hope that this little explanation has shed a little light on why I feel the way I do. I know this
visit I had with this doctor has really changed the way I look at my patients and those around me. I preach to
my patients and to ya’ll the importance of keeping the spine in alignment for good health and now I see the
importance of taking better care of my head.
Until next time, Happy Trails!
Well here we are again! I hope all is well with you. It’s sure been an interesting ride lately hasn’t it? This
month I am going to revisit something I have talked about before. That is brain injuries. I just spent a few
days in Washington DC with a psychiatrist where I learned a little about this subject. It seems that there is
some current research being done on the subject of brain injuries as a result of sports injuries. What they are
starting to see is that these injuries build up over the years. Another study was done on soccer players several
years ago looking at the same thing. What was found then was that injuries to the brain are what are called
cumulative, that is one injury will build upon the one before.
This doctor’s office focuses on a special type of CAT scan to look at the brain. It will show areas of previous
injury to the brain when the brain is at rest. There is no real action being taken by the brain, so to speak.
Another scan that is done is one in which the brain is put under stress by taking a concentration test. This
second type of scan shows where the brain starts to break down and not work as well when under a stress.
These scans are used to help diagnose things like manic-depressive disorder, ADHD, autism among other
things that can go wrong with the brain. I was impressed though, with the idea of being able to see where a
brain has had an injury. The scan I was looking at that day showed an area at the front of the brain that looked
like a little dent. The doctor said that probably was where an impact from a fall might have been. Interestingly
enough that person had suffered a concussion from an impact to the forehead several years earlier. The area
was not significant enough to cause any problems but was good to note for future reference. This is
especially true if there is another head injury later on. This scan can also show when the brain has had damage
done by chemical and other toxicities. These toxins can be from alcohol or drug abuse or they can be from
environmental toxins. These environmental toxins can be things like chemicals inhaled from truck exhaust,
household cleaners, bug sprays, weed killer and who knows what else. These injuries to the brain can cause
the brain to start breaking down when it’s required work hard. This “breaking down” can lead to things like
slow learning disabilities and a whole list of other problems.
Sometimes the brain will be in overdrive all the time. This might be the person who can’t sit still. It may be the
person always talks even when it’s not appropriate. Sometimes this overdrive type of brain function can cause
a person to not be able to slow down enough to even be able to read a book. It’s like their brain works hard all
the time no matter if they are resting or taking a test. We all usually call this person “hyper”. Problem is they
are trying to slow down to our speed but their brain can’t slow down that much and they wind up being
frustrated with their life because they aren’t what we call “normal”.
I know it doesn’t sound all that important when I say to keep track of any head injuries and to take them
seriously, but I hope that this little explanation has shed a little light on why I feel the way I do. I know this
visit I had with this doctor has really changed the way I look at my patients and those around me. I preach to
my patients and to ya’ll the importance of keeping the spine in alignment for good health and now I see the
importance of taking better care of my head.
Until next time, Happy Trails!
| Stayin' Healthy with... Dr. Randy Bryant Pro Sports Chiropractic |
Past Articles Available
February/March 2009 "Allergies" pdf
February/March 2009 "Allergies" pdf
