"Brain Injury and The Road to Recovery"

How to start?....

My injury occurred at work. I was hit in the head from above by a heavy object; I was then diagnosed by my family physician with head trauma and severe whiplash; they prescribed medication and to meet with a physiotherapist until I could see the right personnel (unfortunately, I feel the Physiotherapist treating should have referred out immediately; as my case seemed to be out of their scope of practice), this resulted in meeting with a neurologist who diagnosed me with Traumatic Brain Injury; after months of X Rays, CT scans and long waits with WCB, I came upon many road closures.

Long wait times to get into the Brain Recovery Clinic were seemingly inevitable. However once there; the realization of potentially never being able to do the things I once was capable of were imminent and distressing. The first brain clinic helped with developing skills in physical and cognitive recovery (working primarily with Physiotherapists, Kinesiologists, Occupational Health Specialists, Psychologists, and eventually a Neurologist); the secondary clinic helped with physical rehabilitation and psychiatry.

Although attending all of these appointments; I found that I was not making as much progress as I thought I should; I needed an MRI and was willing to pay out of pocket to get it sooner.

With this I started to look outside of western medicine and remembered my interactions with Dr. Cheng many years prior. I reached out to her for help; she was fully booked but could get me in to see Dr. Alex right away. So I started my Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments two times per week to start, then eventually down to 1 time per week as my healthcare spending account only allotted so much expenditure per year.

Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture helped me with cognition, neurological recovery, tremors, dizziness, unstable gait, chronic muscle tension and atrophy, migraines, tinnitus, and light sensitivity.

My balance was affected due to vestibular disorder from the accident with an intense inability to tolerate sounds; I was finally approved to see a sound specialist who specializes in neurological recovery and brain trauma. She encouraged sound therapy to train my brain to readapt to my surroundings without going into fight or flight response.

My personal opinion is that all individuals who experience brain trauma and injury receive care from Traditional Chinese Medicine & Doctor’s of Acupuncture.

If they are having vestibular disturbance, acute/painful or dull acusis, seek help from a hearing specialist specializing in sound therapy.

I would like to keynote Dr. Alex MSc, Dr. Ac. with my recovery, he was my primary Doctor in the healing process; however Dr. Cheng PhD, Dr. Ac. also gave tremendous benefit with her years of expertise as a Physician, Herbalist and Acupuncturist. They are both trained in western and eastern medicine and have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share. I am forever grateful to their dedication in healthcare.

I hope my experience and suggestion with whom to seek care will one day lead someone else down an easier recovery route.