Concussion...The Invisible Injury

Many patients come to us after a mild traumatic brain injury or concussion with a very wide array of symptoms. Some have difficulty with balance, dizziness, nausea, migraines, brain fog, fatigue, change in vision, inability to concentrate or perform simple tasks, change in personality, loss of taste/smell, irritability, and depression, just to name a few.  The problem is that the injury seems invisible to the patient and to those around them.  If you have a broken leg, lacerated arm, or torn ligament, the injury is obvious and a standard course of care is completed.  With a concussion however, we cannot see and quantify the injury, and since each injury affects a different part of the brain, a different course of care is needed.

This invisible problem leaves the patients and their caregivers frustrated.  Is the patient dramatizing the injury? Are they really that tired, or just being lazy?  When will they return to pre-injury status? Is this a psychological problem?  These questions only scratch the surface of the issues considered after a head injury.

Is there a solution to this invisible problem, if so, what does it look like?  Yes!  It's called Functional Neurology (FN).  With FN we are able to quantify the health of a patient's brain with evidence based and objective testing.  At Smith Family Chiropractic, we us balance testing with Computer Aided Postural Screening (CAPS) that allows us to measure a patient's balance and sway patterns.  Videonystagmography (VNG) allows us to capture and quantify a patient's eye movements with different stimuli.  And, Saccadometry measures rapid eye movements and relays them in real time.  With all of these measures, we are able to diagnose an injury, determine which part of the brain is not working, prescribe a treatment plan designed to target the injured area of the brain, and track progress. 

The goal with FN is to force the brain to heal itself by making it respond in its weak areas.  At Smith Family Chiropractic, it is our goal to help anyone who has sustained a brain injury uncover their invisible injury.  We hope to make the injury visible with our exam and findings, so that the repair and rehabilitation can begin!

The Washington Post
February 3, 2015
Study: Many herbal supplements aren't what the label says.

We are often asked..."Is there really a difference between our vitamins/supplements and the ones at Wal-Mart?"  Our answer, YES, and the difference is frightening.  This Washington Post article speaks for itself...it's a must read if you take any kind of supplement.  All of our products are third party certified.  Which means a third party came in and tested all elements of the product and processing.  Clearly Target, Wal-Mart, and Wagreens were not certified by a third party...check out their red marks in this article.

Click Here to Read the Full Washington Post Article

After this read, you might ask how does a company produce a product that in fact doesn't contain what it advertises on the label?  Aren't there protection measures in place to protect consumers from issues such as this?
To answer this, you must understand the regulation in the vitamin and supplement industry.  The FDA regulates this industry, and it does so rather loosely.  This is not great for consumers when company's, such as those listed in this article, mislead consumers by filling a product with "cheap fillers such as wheat, rice, beans or houseplants."  However, it is to the consumer's advantage as this looser regulation keeps the cost of vitamins and supplements dramatically lower than it would be with more intense regulation.
So, instead, the burden is on the consumer to regulate the company they choose to buy from.  You might wonder, how can an untrained consumer do what the FDA is supposed to do?  Here is one simple way.  Check to see if the product is third party certified, or GMP certified.  GMP certification is only obtained by a company after they hire a third party to come in and review and test their products from raw materials, to tableting, to final packaging.  You will know if a company is third party certified, because they are proud of it and they will tell you.  It is costly to have a third party come in and when they do, it is hard to meet all their standards.  So, if a company has completed this kind of certification, they will be more than happy to tell you about it.
Beware!  Most companies that are NOT GMP certified will tell you instead that they follow good manufacturing practices.  This is not the same as being certified!  This would be like you getting pulled over for speeding.  When the officer asks you how fast your were driving you give him your estimated speed and hope he takes your word for it...this is like companies telling us they follow good practices.  Versus, the police office actually using his technology to clock your speed and telling you his objective data...this is like being third party certified.
Please know that all the products we carry are certified, and Metagenics, our primary supplier is triple third party certified...which means they have had 3 groups come in and test them, 3 different times!
This very interesting and informative Washington Post article underscores the importance of buying from quality, reputable, GMP certified companies, such as Metagenics.