This month, we’re talking about how diet and therapies can speed up the recovery process after brain injury by introducing you to functional medicine and complementary and alternative therapies, so take a cross-legged seat and enjoy!
Functional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Functional medicine is a patient-centered approach to healthcare that focuses on identifying and treating the root causes of disease or slow recovery. It emphases a holistic and personalized approach to health and well-being, placing a strong emphasis on nutrition, diet and exercise.
Complementary and alternative medicine covers a broad range of over 100 healing philosophies, approaches, and therapeutic modalities. They are frequently used in combination with or in lieu of conventional therapies, and can be broken into:
- Mind-body therapies, like meditation, guided imagery, relaxation, hypnosis, biofeedback, prayer and breathwork.
- Biologically-based therapies, using substances found in nature, like botanicals, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, prebiotics and probiotics and whole diets.
- Manipulative and body-based methods such as acupuncture, chiropractic, massage and reflexology.
- Energy therapies, which include biofield therapies like Qi Gong, Tai Chi and Reiki, and bioelectromagnetic-based therapies, which use pulsed, magnetic and alternating-current or direct-current fields.
- Alternative medicine, which evolved independently or parallel to conventional medicine; practitioners focus on imbalances in overall health, which they believe is at the root of the manifestations of disease or dysfunction.
These therapies aren’t for everybody. Skepticism towards alternative medicine often stems from a lack of robust scientific evidence supporting its efficacy and safety, but for some, these treatments and practices are meaningful and help with their recovery.
Ultra-processed foods
Why are things that are bad for you taste so good? In part, it’s because they are ultra-processed. What exactly does that mean anyway?
Some ingredients used in cooking and baking are altered (or processed) from their natural state. They tend to be energy-dense, nutrient-poor, have long shelf lives, and include things like:
- Breakfast cereals and bars
- Carbonated drinks
- Packaged bread, hamburger, and hot dog buns
- Pre-prepared pizzas, pasta, hamburgers, sausages, chicken nuggets, and fish sticks
- Ice cream and frozen desserts
- Instant soups
Most come in a box or from the frozen food aisle. They have a proven link to increased calorie intake, weight gain, and risk of cardiovascular diseases, and are commonly found in the center aisles of grocery stores, particularly in the packaged snack, meal, and dessert sections. You can identify UPFs by looking for ingredients you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce, like thickeners, stabilizers, or emulsifiers, and added sugars and sweeteners and other ingredients that end in “-ose.”
KEY NUTRIENTS TO MAXIMIZE RECOVERY
So, what are you supposed to eat instead? Here’s a list of vitamins and minerals that will speed up recovery after injury or illness, and where you can get them in a non-processed way
- Vitamin A: Vital for skin health and immune function; can be found in sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, and kale.
- Vitamin B: Important for energy production; deficiencies can impair performance; includes brown rice, barley, eggs, legumes, citrus fruits and avocados
- Vitamin C: Critical for collagen and immune function; sources are citrus fruits, strawberries, bell peppers, and broccoli.
- Vitamin D: Supports the immune system and helps the skin fight pathogens; it can be found in fatty fish (like salmon and tuna) and egg yolks. There aren’t many foods that provide a lot of Vitamin D, so most people get theirs through exposure to sunlight.
- Iron: Plays a role in oxygen transport and the formation of hemoglobin; essential for wound healing. It’s found in meat, poultry and fish, eggs, legumes, whole grains and nuts, seeds and some dried fruit
- Magnesium: Helps the body make protein, bone, and DNA, and regulate muscle and nerve function. Sources are meat, poultry and fish, eggs, legumes, tofu, whole grains such as quinoa and oats, whole grain bread, and nuts, seeds and some dried fruits, like raisins.
- Zinc: Integral for wound healing, protein synthesis, and immune function. Nuts, seeds, meat, and seafood are good sources of zinc, as are meat, fish, seafood, eggs and dairy products.
Yoga
Yoga is an ancient practice that may have originated in India that involves physical poses, concentration and deep breathing, and is a healing practiced for over 5,000 years. Regular yoga practice can promote endurance, strength, calmness, flexibility, and well-being, as there are many different yoga styles, ranging from gentle practices to physically demanding ones. Yoga is now a popular form of exercise around the world; according to one survey, one in seven adults in the US practiced yoga in the past 12 months.
Research suggests that yoga:
- Relieves stress, supports good health habits, improves mental health and promotes sleep.
- Increases flexibility and balance.
- Benefits people managing anxiety or depression.
- Assists substance misuse treatment programs.r
- Encourages people with chronic diseases to manage their symptoms and enhance their quality of life.
When a person is under stress or perceives a threat, the sympathetic nervous system kicks in (inner tension, sweaty palms, quickened heartbeat, etc.) to help them avoid the threat; yoga has been found to help improve stress tolerance by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system (the calming system) and reducing sympathetic nervous system activity.
Alternative Therapies at Trial
In personal injury cases, alternative therapies can be included in a claim if they are deemed medically necessary and reasonable to treat the injury. While insurance companies may sometimes deny coverage for these treatments, particularly if they are not considered standard medical care, it’s possible for a jury to decide they were important to the plaintiff’s recovery. Examples of alternative therapies are:
- Acupuncture: Works by stimulating specific points on the body with thin needles, which then trigger the release of natural chemicals like endorphins, neurotransmitters, and hormones, which can help alleviate pain and inflammation.
- Chiropractic Care: Uses spinal adjustments, manual therapies, and exercises designed to alleviate pain and improve function; can be especially effective for accident victims experiencing neck pain, back pain, or reduced range of motion.
- Massage Therapy: Can be an effective treatment for soft tissue injuries, muscle tension, and pain relief. It can help alleviate muscle tension, improve mobility and circulation, reduce inflammation, and promote faster healing.
- Other holistic therapies: May include yoga, Tai Chi, biofeedback, herbal medicine, and meditation.
