Cold Laser Therapy
 

Photobiomodulation is the correct term. Has anyone tried this treatment and was it useful for any symptoms of ABI such as memory loss or executive functions.

Here is a government published study referred to by many promoting LLLT. Low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT) in skin: stimulating, healing, restoring
Note the penetration chart down the page. It shows the near infrared only penetrates a couple millimeters. The studies that show value in neurological setting are with mice. 2 mm into a mouse skull is substantial compared to a human brain where 2 mm is not past the skull.

Here is another. New Study Shows Only High-Powered Near-Infrared Light (NIR) Regenerates Damage from Traumatic Brain It mentions the lack of penetration.

Do you have memory loss or lack of short term memory functions ? What are you doing to help you brain perform at its best ?

I have a near infrared system for a shoulder injury. It appeared to just make the inflammation worse.

Thanks i read both articles and it seems that those with higher power have more chance. My husband had a cardiac arrest with global ischemia 2 years ago. His memory is improved but he still has memory problems, difficulty following conversations and retrieving ideas and fuzzy brain. He refuses to do much to help himself which makes life very difficult for all his family.

That sounds similar to when an impact results in diffuse axonal injury. Axons throughout the brain get weakened.

If he will follow the regimen, I would encourage you to get him on the Vitamins regimen in the Vitamin sticky at the top. The weak brain needs far more nutrition to tolerate daily stress and activities. Also, his quality of sleep will make a big difference. After a bad night's sleep, he will have more struggles.

He likely struggles to filter out background sounds and voices. This can make it difficult to follow a conversation. Memory and retrieving ideas often has to do with focus. He may need an opportunity to 'stop to think.' The stress of trying to force thought is often counter-productive.

Family can help him by giving him time and quiet to think and speak. I bet he struggles miserably at something like a Thanksgiving dinner with lots of people, maybe even to the point of outbursts.

People need to realize that he is as frustrated by his situation as they are. He likely does not fully understand why he struggles so and ends up 'smashing into walls' so to speak. He may be struggling with depression. It is a common part of his condition.

Please let me know if you think I am on track.

My best to you both.

I experimented with this technology on myself. I've also discussed/debated with Mark previously on this form. I used NIR lasers pointed at my brain stem and cerebellum from varying angles. I tried to mimic power densities discussed in scientific literature. After 10 sessions my results were ambigius, and not enough to conirm if infact results were realized. What I can report is that it was safe to experiment at the risk of injury is little to nonexistent.

After all my research, i'm still uncertain about the efficacy of skull penetration in a human brain, especially if youre trying to get deeper than brain surface. There's lots of positive research if you research 'transcranial laser therapy'. However there's lots of research that counters these points. Summary, it's safe to experiment.

There's also a back door into the brain using NIR laser therapy. It's extremely low level, much slower, and even safer, and cheap. Look into Intranasal light therapy. There's a product made by -Vielight ($200). It looks like an iPod and uses a small LED that inserts into your nose. The idea is that it difuses blood capillaries from the nasal cavity into the brain. This redirection of blood flow travels by gradients, and sends blood to brain regions with lesser amounts of blood flow. This causes nutrient transport, ATP production, new blood cell generation, and thus reparation. There's lots of consumer reviews on this product. So if you're discouraged by the uncertainty of direct skull penetration, try the back door through the nose.

Good luck.

Justin

I'm ready to give up on life. Maybe I'll try that light therapy as last chance to lift the fog.

Todayistomorrow, i'm happy to bounce some ideas back and forth and share the info/ make some recommendations. I started out in a very dark and hopeless place and have come a long ways to where I have taken my life back, no thanks to conventional medicine.
If you share some details on your background, symptoms, and what you've tried then we can start problem solving.

Cheers

Hains

car accident 5 years ago.

Constant pressure Headaches
Brain fog
Sensitive to light/noise
Convergence insifficiency

Medication I've tried
Amitryptaline (worked for 2 years, got off it and headaches were actually tolerable)
Amantadine(concentration improved greatly but had some side effects)
Adderrol(low dose) worked for a short period but then felt it was too much stimulation and felt bad on it.

Currently on
Vicodin for pain(taking 3-4 a day)
Cymbalta for depression

What has worked for me
Tinted glasses helped my vision issues

I've tried carrick brain center (scam)
Chiropractor(scam)

My symptoms took a turn for worse once I had kids.

Currently getting 3-5 hours a sleep at night and then sometimes being able to nap for a few hours in morning. Having suicidal thoughts though I don't think I would ever act on them. Brain fog is at all time worse and feel like crap every day. Don't see the point of living other than I cant leave my kids without a dad.

Hains

I thought the laser therapy was helping you. But now you are saying you had limited results?

Thanks.

I feel for you Todayistomorrow, it sounds like you've been through a lot. In all of the gloom, you can still find light. Despite the monumental effort required to get through this, you can and will build your life back up and breath easily again.

I'm certain that your increase in symptoms post kids is entirely related to increased stress. I found this with my own recovery, not related to kids, but my symptoms would worsen drastically when my stress levels increased, and sometimes this was so subtle I wouldn't notice until hitting rock bottom. I think you need to approach your recovery like peeling layers from an onion. Trying to remove all of the layers at once will not work, you need to address issues one by one. This can be a difficult undertaking in itself, so start by looking at your symptoms and comparing them to the numerous treatments available. Then decide, which treatment will provide the most benefit first. And which treatment will give future treatments a better chance at success, or even accomplish the goals of future treatments.

*I apologize in advance if any of the following is redundant to you*

Action#1)
I think the first area of focus should be to decrease your stressors. This starts with diet, and completely eliminating any foods with processed sugar and refined carbs. Put simply, only eat real foods like meat, fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. Stay away from candies, chips, breads, pastas and other manufactured foods. You need to do this to improve metabolism and insulin. Doing this will drastically improve brain fog and sleep.
Next, substitute coffee with green tea. Green tea contains L-theanine, increases dopamine, and contains good antioxidants. L-theanine will negate the jitters you get from coffee and will be one of many things taken on to improve sleep.
Next, incorporate light to moderate aerobic exercise 5 days a week. Your heart rate should not exceed 130 bpm. Depending on your level of fitness, this could mean doing a 1 hour walk daily.
Next, do whatever it takes to identify and mitigate stresses at work and at home.
Next, incorporate strict sleep hygiene, making your bedroom a refuge for sleep (and sex) only. Never lay awake in bed. Only go to bed when your tired, and wake up early at a consistent time.

Action #2) I know that you've seen a phoney chiropractor, and I belive you cause i've seen phoneys too. But they aren't all phoneys. I think your next step is to see a certified chiropractor trained in atlas vertebrae realignment. This is the crux of the spinal cord and an integral part of the central nervous system. If the atlas vertebrea is misalignment (highly probable following a car accident), it creates all sorts of nervous system-related issues that can manifest into various symptoms. A misaligned atlas vertebrea also pulls on the brainstem, which regulates balance and sensory information, breathing, sleep, among other things. That is why you should address this first before looking at other physio treatments. Get the spinal cord in line and fully functioning so that it will have a trickle down effect for recovery and will not be a source of resistance for future treatments. This chiropractic adjustment does not use 'crunching' methods. It is soft manipulation and should take about 3 - 5 sessions. Only the first session involves an atlas realignment maneuver, while the rest of the sessions are follow-up to make sure your spinal cord remains in line. This treatment will help with your tension headaches, brain fog, noise/light sensitivity, and convergence problems.

Action #3) Take sleep hygiene seriously. A good program will truely be beneficial to get your sleep back in-line. I used to get so worked up cause everyone was telling me i needed to sleep more, but i was suffering chronic insomnia and couldn't sleep. I tried lots of things and the best protocol i found was this $50 5-week program (http://www.cbtforinsomnia.com/).

Action #4) I would bet that a lot of your brain fog is coming from your pharmaceuticals, especially the pain killers. My recommendation is to reduce your dependency on all pharmaceuticals, slowly mind you. Eventually you want to fully come off this stuff as it offers no solutions, just band-aids. I recommend coming down off this and slowly integrating Mark's Vitamin and Supplement plan in the stickies. Although its large, overwhelming and pricey, it will give your brain and body the necessary chemicals required to return to homeostasis. I would absolutely start with supplements that calm the nervous system and that replenish likely depleted minerals (Adrenal support, omega-3, vitamin D, vitamin C, phosphatidyl serine and magnesium). If your budget allows, an accredited naturopath can help create a proper plan. But, Mark's posted plan in the stickies is the golden standard to supplements.

Action #5) Mindfullness practice. This is meditation. Lots of people scoff at it as phoney or whatever. But Micheal Jordan, Kobe Bryant, most sports teams, Arnold Schwarzenegger and all sorts of leaders have incorporated meditation into their lives. It has the power to calm the brain, improve sleep, reduce brain fog, balance neurotransmitters, and all sorts of other stuff. Scientific studies have shown that easy-to-follow 8 week programs actually rebuild grey matter in the brain. There is really no denying the benefits of this. And its pretty much free. You may by a $10 book to follow, or just read stuff free on the internet.

Action #6) Enlist a neuro-optomatrist/opthamologist to provide physio exercises for your convergence deficiencies. Note that these often require a full year of physio to realize positive gains.

That's a start. Your road to recovery will not be quick, but your road exists, and you have the resources available to drive it. Your end goal is recovery and a happy life, and you will get there. Believe in yourself and your resilience, the human body is capable of overcoming this darkness. You have to be adaptable, patient and persistent. There is a full community here to support you.

Lastly, you will likely get other recommendations from people. Always consider, what treatment will give you the best bang for your buck. What treatment will make other treatments easier to accomplish, or make then no longer necessary. These 'umbrella' treatments should always be the focus. Until you have completely dwindled your symptoms away.

Good Luck

Hains