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Old 08-27-2015, 07:43 AM
Laupala Laupala is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 214
10 yr Member
Laupala Laupala is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 214
10 yr Member
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I've tried both, HBOT about a year ago, and EEG neurofeedback over the past few months. Their aims are entirely different, HBOT seeking to restore generally neuronal health by increasing oxygen and blood flow, and neurofeedback seeking to change the brains actual functioning by promoting "positive" brain wave activity and inhibiting "negative" activity (random spikes, etc,).

I did 40 sessions of HBOT, and while I did feel somewhat better by the end, I honestly think this had more to do becoming involved in coaching my old high school cross country team, which did a lot to lift my spirits. In hindsight, I regret spending the money on HBOT, but that's just my experience. The facility was very close to where I was living, and I thought I'd give it a try. Perhaps I would've seen further benefits had I done more than 40 sessions.

I've done 25ish sessions of neurofeedback, starting this past March. I wasn't seeing much of a change by late April, but the practitioner tried a different program (something called synchrony, which actually tries to promote certain brainwaves, rather than simply showing your brain through feedback what it's doing. After a couple sessions i really was feeling better than I had in a while, but then had a head bump on a water balloon that seemed to affect me, and the same program failed to elicit the previously positive results.

I stopped going at the practitioner's suggestions, but resumed just this week because she recieved an updated program that allows here to pick up lower brain wave frequencies, something the clinical director of the neurofeedback "camp" she's in thinks would be helpful. I've only had one session, and had that "close-call" head bump I posted about earlier muck things up a bit, so I don't have much to report.

So, all in all, neither has been extremely helpful for me, but I'm still glad I tried. Something has to help eventually!
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26 year-old PhD student in evolutionary biology, slipped on ice in Feb 2014 while clipping my fingernails and walking to save time (dumbest reason for PCS ever?). Initially just had headaches and didn't feel quite right, but a minor head bump 5 days later started a downward spiral of anxiety, depression, insomnia and fatigue. Had trouble concentrating on reading/looking at screens

April 2014 - did exertion test, passed, started exercising and doing more, but didn't feel much better.

May 2014 - Went on backpacking trip OK'd by doctor, trip itself went fine, but felt worse a few days after getting back, more difficulty concentrating, worse headaches.

June 2014 - Bumped head on ceiling walking slowly down stairs, no immediate symptoms, but caused worsening headahces, more difficulty concentrating and looking at screens. Have not felt as good as I did before this since this bump.

December 2014 - after feeling relatively better I went xc skiing and fell but didn't hit my head (something my psychologist who specializes in brain injuries told me he hoped would happen so I saw it was OK), felt worse

Feb 2015 - back in grad school, light teaching load and some research, nowhere close to operating at my full capacity. Still have constant headaches, difficulty reading/looking at screens, mild anxiety and depression, and just not feeling like my normal sharp self.

Trying, but struggling, to believe that I'll get back to my old self, or at least get close.
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