How Brain Mapping Can Improve Your Mental Health

Most of us know that our mental health is drastically impacted by physiological as well as psychological triggers. While we may do our best to manage stress, develop resiliency, and incorporate spiritual and mental healing practices, there may be other organic factors at play, contributing to our mental and emotional state. The sad truth is, people may spend months or years attempting to get to the root of these issues and often have no clue where to begin in their search. They may not even know what options and diagnostic tools are available.

Brainview uses a combination of EEG, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) to create a detailed map of brain activity. This allows us to pinpoint specific areas in the brain that may be causing cognitive issues and tailor treatment plans accordingly. Not only have we been able to detect sleep related issues, but inflammation from traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, sinus issues, and even hidden dental infections!

On a personal note, this technology has impacted my brain and mental health in a very drastic way. I had been struggling with off and on sinus-related issues, sleep issues, and digestive issues that were not resolved by changing my diet or managing emotions. I knew there was something deeper going on, especially when I noticed my flare ups seemed to accompany swelling around a my gums and sinus pressure on one side of my face. I was going back and forth between a conventional dentist and ENT, but no major issues were discovered. Though the physical symptoms were irritating, the most detrimental symptoms in my opinion were mental/emotional. The inflammation was blocking my ability to get adequate oxygen at night, resulting in so many sleepless nights and contributed to an increasingly growing season of depression and anxiety- something I had never experienced before to this degree.

After opening up about my symptoms and emotions to my colleagues here in the clinic, I opted to have my brain mapped. Not only did it reveal elevated anxiety, memory and attention issues, but it revealed that the root of this may be stemming from physiological inflammation. I finally opted to see a biological dentist to do some deeper digging. Sure enough, a very infected tooth from a former root canal procedure had been releasing toxins and bacteria into my blood stream to the extent that I was beginning to have neurological and cognitive symptoms.

Of course, I scheduled an extraction procedure with no hesitation.. The day after the extraction, I was shocked by how much better I felt, despite the recovery process. For the first time in years, I woke up early the next morning without feeling as if I was hungover. My painful bloating and constipation began to subside that very week, which meant I could eat a greater variety of whole foods without irritating affects! Best of all, the brain fog and severe anxiety decreased, and the gray cloud that had been weighing on me so heavily gradually diminished. I am still a work in progress like everyone, but I am grateful for the drastic strides I have made in my health from this procedure.

If I had not known that brain mapping was a valuable option, I may have honestly assumed my symptoms were a result of just sleep or poorly managed stressors. Though those are very important factors to take into consideration, there may be something deeper going on in certain cases. Here in the clinic, providers have been able to identify PTSD, TBI's that people did not know they had experienced, and hidden infections contributing to significant cognitive issues.

If I had never treated the source of the infection and inflammation, there is a great chance that I could have even gone into sepsis from serious infection and toxin exposure. The technology that Brainview provides can be a powerful tool for those who have been struggling to find the root cause(s) of their cognitive issues, just as I had experienced. Through Brain mapping, our providers can create more individualized treatment plans and individualized support.

Don't wait to take your mental and brain health seriously! Book an appointment with one of our providers to discuss your options for testing, treatment, mental and physical healing tools, and more! We take your physical AND mental health very seriously and want to see our patients thrive!

Resources:

Brainview.com. "Brainview." https://www.brainview.com/?keyword=brainview&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI592ik46f-wIVyytMCh0AIwkpEAAYASAAEgJTT_D_BwE. Accessed 8 Apr. 2018.