His Head Injury Has Affected His Whole Body

Question:

My 22-yearold son has severe head injuries from a car accident. He has damage to his brainstem and pinhead bleeding around the brain. He is now conscious and remembers all aspects of his life. He has paralysis of one vocal cord, which we are told will get better with speech therapy. There is weakness on his right side – his arm requires splints to straighten it – and he has developed ataxia (defect of gait). What can he do to help his recovery?

Answer:

From your description, your son has symptoms similar to those following a stroke, in that his body and parts of the brain on one side are affected. Over the past two decades, I have been using a powerful physical rehabilitation technique to help stroke patients.

There have been two successful clinical studies: the first was carried out at the Hammersmith Hospital in 1996 with l2 elderly stroke patients under the supervision of a consultant geriatrician. Last year, with funding from a patient and the cooperation of Peninsula Medical School based at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust, my brother Nizam and I set up a research project where we rehabilitated another group of l7 stroke patients.

First, I advise you work on the neck, as the vertebral arteries located inside the cervical spine irrigate the brainstem, which has centres that control vocal cords; the cerebellum, which controls gait and posture, as well as other areas that must be involved in such a complex case. He should first be on his back, with a pillow under his head. Massage both sides of the neck, using oil such as my Alive Back Massage Oil (Integrated Health Group,), or two tablespoon sweet almond oil with three drops essential lavender oil. Rub the muscles and tendons of the neck. (Details on how to do this are shown on my Life style DVD, Integrated Health Group.) Then he should turn over so you can massage the shoulders using both hands, squeezing then releasing the muscles. This will improve the blood circulation. Initially the muscles will be stiff and sore. As days go by, the muscles will ease and this massage will facilitate the better circulation of blood and cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the brain.

Next you must work on the right arm and hand. It seems that it has already developed extreme spasm of muscles due to the brain damage. Massaging the biceps on the outside upper arm and the flexor muscles running down the inside arm will help relieve tightness and lessen the chance of total loss of use of the right hand. Massage the entire back and focus on the buttock muscles on the right side, particularly the tender trigger point in the centre of the right cheek. This can help bone up muscles which participate in balance and posture.

Next, massage the right quadriceps( front of thighs) and right hamstrings( back of thighs).Then massage the right calf and shin muscles, using your thumbs and fingers to clasp them from both sides.

Special Marma points, which the martial arts practitioners of ancient India used to revive muscles paralysed in action. Stimulating them with your thumb can reactivate specific muscles involved in controlling gait, balance, co-ordination and posture.

Nutrition is important since there may be a tendency to gain weight your son should avoid sugar, oily or fatty foods, including pork, lamb and dairy products. H e should drink freshly juiced carrots, celery, apple and root ginger (preferably organic), and eat one banana daily. Carrots and bananas contain potassium, which is good for muscles. So, too, is lean protein (chicken breast, turkey, eggs, almonds soaked in water for 24 hours, lentils, tofu, cottage cheese).

The more tense and tired your son is the worse his muscle performance will be. Practise retention breathing: inhale for three seconds, hold for three to six, then exhale for six. Also practice brisk exhalation, forcing the air out of the lungs by sucking in the abdomen sharply, which raises the dome of the abdomen and helps energise the body.

I strongly recommend seeing an experienced chiropractor or osteopath for two sessions to adjust the cervical vertebrae, which have probably been misaligned.

Acupuncture is also useful in some cases. When the muscles become active again,

physiotherapists or therapeutic Iyengar yoga specialists can assist with exercises.