“I’m fine, I just got my bell rung!”
What was once seen as an innocent phrase, is now an indication of a much more serious situation.
Concussions have riddled the football community for years, but until recently we have not fully understood what multiple, mild and severe, concussions could to do our brains in the long run. Using a combination of brain imaging technologies such as MRIs and EEGs, we are now better able to diagnose traumatic brain injuries such as concussions. While our diagnostic tools have improved, there is still a gap in how we can treat concussion symptoms. This is why many athletes have now turned to holistic and homeopathic techniques such as microcurrent direct neurofeedback to treat their symptoms.
So, what are the effects of football concussions?
Post-concussive syndrome (PCS) or chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is caused by repetitive blows to the brain and result in concussive symptoms remaining for long periods of time. While CTE cannot be officially confirmed until a postmortem brain autopsy is preformed, symptoms become apparent as athletes’ brains begin to deteriorate.
A clinical study of CTE in American football players found that 110 out of 111 NFL athletes (99%) were neuropathologically diagnosed with CTE.
Source: Mez J, Daneshvar DH, Kiernan PT, et al. Clinicopathological Evaluation of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Players of American Football. JAMA. 2017;318(4):360–370. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.8334
Symptoms of CTE often include:
| Difficulty thinking (cognitive impairment) | Emotional instability Motor impairment |
| Impulsive behavior | Substance abuse |
| Depression or apathy | Suicidal thoughts or behaviors |
| Short-term memory loss | Irritability or aggression |
| Difficulty planning and carrying out tasks | Dementia |
What are the NFL doing about player concussions?
As chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and post-concussive syndrome (PCS) continue to be explored, the NFL is taking measures to try and make football safer while still maintaining the intensity and speed of the sport. The NFL looks at certain parts of the game to see if there is a higher rate of injury in one aspect of play more so than another.
This year the NFL found that they could protect players with kickoff changes to help improve safety. During the 2015-2017 season, the kickoff represented merely 6% of play but accounted for 12% of all NFL concussions. The 2018 kickoff change aimed to reduce the speed of collisions by changing the kickoff team’s set up. The kicking team no longer begins the play with a running start but rather start play like the defenders, standing still.
While the NFL take steps to make the sport safer for current players, ex-NFL athletes are taking control of their own brain health. Many concerned athletes have found microcurrent direct neurofeedback as a holistic brain therapy technique to combat their symptoms.
How Neurofeedback Therapy with Brain Rx is helping Ex-NFL athletes
Microcurrent direct neurofeedback is an FDA-cleared, non-invasive, holistic approach that combats a variety of symptoms from an array of ailments. Brain Rx treats symptoms including mental fog, motor function, trauma, fatigue, depression, suicidal thoughts, dementia and many more symptoms associated with a range of disorders.
Our treatment sends an imperceptible electromagnetic current that works to adjust disruptive brain wave patterns. This microcurrent is weaker than the electrical pulse emitted from using your cellphone but strong enough that your brain receives it and starts to “un-train” these hurtful patterns. The actual treatment takes between 10-15 minutes and is non-invasive, merely administered by placing small probes to the forehead. With our patients, we have experienced tremendous positive results especially with symptoms associated with concussions and other traumatic brain injuries.
Real Results Treating CTE with ex-NFL San Francisco 49ers Quarterback & Superbowl Champion
Guy Benjamin, a former Stanford and San Francisco 49ers Quarterback has had amazing success with our treatment:
“Prior to working with Brain Rx and receiving neurofeedback, I could see a distinct difference in how I was acting and functioning today than when I was younger.
We didn’t know about concussions back then but now we see how much damage we were really taking.
Since ending my football career, I have become diagnosed with CTE and over time I have seen it progress. I was having issues with remembering the route I take to work, motor control and overall memory problems.
While working with Brain Rx, my family and my doctors and I have continued to see improved results and see these difficulties start to subside.”
While rule changes and improvements in equipment make the sport safer, sustaining multiple mild and severe concussions still remains a very real threat to football players.
At the professional level, NFL athletes are more prone to having symptoms and being diagnosed with CTE. Due to this, as many of these high-level athletes end their careers, they have started closely monitoring any symptoms and looking for holistic approaches like microcurrent direct neurofeedback to treat their ailments and improve their overall health.
Brain Rx works closely with those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries such as concussions and track symptom improvements with the patient as they start to feel more like their old selves.
Whether a person has sustained a diagnosed concussion or has merely experienced repetitive hits, Brain Rx provides a service which combats both current and long-term symptoms.
Jacob is a leading qualified Microcurrent Neurofeedback Practitioner in Los Angeles and is dedicated to helping patients with symptoms associated with a wide range of disorders such as anxiety, ADD/ADHD, depression, traumatic brain injury, PTSD and addiction to greatly improve their quality of life.