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• Brain injury awareness
• Brain injury prevention

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

Continued from Part I…

An acquired brain injury (ABI) is an “injury to the brain that is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma. Essentially, this type of brain injury is one that has occurred after birth. The injury results in a change to the brain’s neuronal activity, which affects the physical integrity, metabolic activity, or functional ability of nerve cells in the brain.” 

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as an “alteration in brain function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force. Traumatic impact injuries can be defined as closed (or non-penetrating) or open (penetrating).”

Often referred to as an acquired brain injury, a non-traumatic brain injury causes” damage to the brain by internal factors, such as a lack of oxygen, exposure to toxins, pressure from a tumor, etc.”

Examples of traumatic brain injuries include falls, assaults, motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, abusive head trauma, gunshot wounds, workplace injuries, child or domestic abuse, and military actions. 

Non-traumatic brain injuries include stroke, hemorrhage, blood clot, infectious disease, meningitis, seizure, electric shock, tumors, neurotoxic poisoning, lack of oxygen, drug overdose, and aneurysm. 

Just as no two people are exactly alike, no two brain injuries are exactly alike. For some, brain injury is the start of a lifelong disease process. Brain injury requires access to a full continuum of treatment and community-based supports provided by appropriately educated clinicians serving on an interdisciplinary treatment team.

The individual who sustains a brain injury and his or her family are the most important members of the treatment team. Their choices, goals, and backgrounds will be taken into consideration when it comes to the appropriate treatment.

• Brain injury awareness
• Brain injury prevention

Details

Written by Lisa Jillanza

Every March in the United States we recognize Brain Injury Awareness. Brain injuries are unpredictable in its consequences and change everything about a person in a matter of seconds.

Here we look at some aspects, causes, and treatments of brain injuries and remind those that have either personally suffered a brain injury or are caring for a loved one with a brain injury, that you are not alone. 

Understanding the brain. 

The brain is divided into sections called lobes. Each lobe has an important and specific function. The lobes and some of their functions are: 

Frontal Lobe: attention, concentration, organization, problem solving.

Temporal Lobe: memory, receptive language, hearing.

Parietal Lobe: sense of touch, depth perception, identification of shapes, sizes, colors.

Occipital Lobe: vision.

Cerebellum: balance and coordination.

Brain Stem: breathing, heart rate, sleep and wake cycles.

Damage to specific lobes. 

An injury to the frontal lobes may affect an individual’s ability to control emotions, impulses, and behavior or may cause difficulty recalling events or speaking. 

An injury to the temporal lobes may lead individuals to demonstrate difficulty with communication or memory. 

Individuals who have injured their parietal lobes may have trouble with their five primary senses. 

An injury to one’s occipital lobes may lead to trouble seeing or perceiving the size and shape of objects.  

An injury to the cerebellum may affect balance, movement, and coordination.  

The brain stem controls the body’s involuntary functions that are essential for survival, such as breathing and heart rate.

• benefits of massage therapy
• massage therapy benefits

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

For more than 125 years, experts have been researching the benefits of massage therapy, and besides the obvious stress-free feeling that people have following a massage, there are plenty of other benefits to this ancient healing procedure.

One major benefit of massage therapy that researchers have found is that people who get massages on a regular basis have noticed a decrease in their blood pressure.  

Massages also help to alleviate the pain of those who suffer from migraine headaches. 

Massage can also: reduce your heart rate, increase blood circulation and lymph flow, relax your muscles, improve your range of motion, and increase endorphins. Some other physical benefits of massage therapy include relieving muscle tension and stiffness, alleviating discomfort during pregnancy, reducing muscle spasms, promoting deeper and easier breathing, enhancing the health and nourishment of your skin, and improving your posture. 

Massage therapy, while a physical act, is not all about physical benefits.  There are plenty of mental benefits that having a massage can give you. 

Some of these mental benefits include promoting mental alertness, relieving mental stress, reducing levels of anxiety, improving motor skills, creating   body awareness, and fostering a feeling of wellbeing. 

While this article only touches on a few benefits of massage therapy, both physical and mental, there are plenty more out there that researchers are learning about every day. 

So, go pamper yourself!

• walking exercises
• Health fits of walking
• walking challenge

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

It’s officially March Madness season, so why not kick off this month with a 31-day Walking Challenge? This challenge can be done by itself or in addition to other exercises or workouts that you currently do each day. 

Happy Walking! 

Day 1: Walk 1 mile

Day 2: Walk 1 mile

Day 3: Walk 1 mile

Day 4: OFF

Day 5: Walk 1 mile

Day 6: Walk 1 mile

Day 7: Walk 1 mile

Day 8: OFF

Day 9: Walk 1.5 miles

Day 10: Walk 1.5 miles

Day 11: Walk 1.5 miles

Day 12: OFF

Day 13: Walk 1.5 miles

Day 14: Walk 1.5 miles

Day 15: Walk 2 miles

Day 16: OFF

Day 17: Walk 2 miles

Day 18: Walk 2 miles

Day 19: Walk 2 miles

Day 20: OFF

Day 21: Walk 2 miles

Day 22: Walk 2.5 miles

Day 23: Walk 2.5 miles

Day 24: OFF

Day 25: Walk 2.5 miles

Day 26: Walk 2.5 miles

Day 27: Walk 2.5 miles

Day 28: OFF

Day 29: Walk 3 miles

Day 30: Walk 3 miles

Day 31: Walk 3 miles

• Spring Health Tips
• spring diet
• Healthy spring diet
• spring eating tips

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

Before hitting the grocery store or produce stands this season, check out what fruits and veggies you should be getting:

• Apricots – slightly soft, not bruised
• Artichoke – compact head, bright green color
• Asparagus – closed and compact tips, bright green stalks
• Avocado – should be a little “give” when squeezed
• Carrots – crisp, healthy tops
• Collard Greens – dark green, vibrant color
• Mango – more orange/red than green
• New Potatoes – last only a few days
• Pineapple – sniff the bottom for sweet aroma, check for firmness
• Rhubarb – check for bright, crisp stalks
• Spinach – avoid dried out or yellow stems
• Strawberries – pick fragrant, slightly soft ones
• Sugar Snap/Snow Peas – bright green, should feel like they have a snap (not limp)