Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Sign up and be the first to hear about latest special offers & updates.
In 1973 I received training performing medical massage protocol for rehabilitation from post-concussion brain dysfunction. During my long career, I wasn’t aware that the implementation of this protocol is such a necessity. I didn't even know that so many people suffer a concussion and must be rehabilitated.More so, I didn’t suspect the pandemic proportions of this dysfunction in the US, which made the implementation of this protocol so urgent.
Not only that concussion is caused by the huge popularity of American Football and other contact sports and the mass participation of the population in this game starting from school, but also by even the large scale causation of concussion by frequent automobile accidents.
Most of my practice is based on patient referrals. Rather than concussions, these referrals covered patients suffering from upper & lower back and neck pains and dysfunctions, shoulder/knee/hip joints disorders, headaches, myofascial pains etc.
My first-hand familiarity with the spread of detrimental consequences of concussion started about three years ago. I happened to sit in the medical center cafeteria with the group of doctors and scientists, whom I consulted on the treatment of essential hypertension. A specially designed protocol can be helpful in managing essential hypertension.
Medical Massage and Control of Arterial Hypertension
I was performing hypertension protocol, explaining a physiological effect of massage, goals of the treatment, etc., and guys used to try to develop medications.
Suddenly, there was a breaking news on TV: ”Domestic violence in NFL!” and now famous security camera footage appeared where Ray Rice punches his girlfriend into the face and knocking her out.
The entire nation condemned this action and demanded decisive actions from NFL commissioner. This pressure was so significant, that NFL banned Ray Rice playing for good.
Then Ray Rice appeared on TV asking for forgiveness and promising to take anger management classes. In the end of his apology, his head went down, and he said:” I don’t even remember what happened.”
I commented that Ray doesn’t appear to be a violent person and his behavior has a medical explanation. By having repeated concussions he has developed psychiatric behavioral disorders, which is a typical brain dysfunction. In these cases after a psychotic episode is over, post brain trauma people often doesn’t even remember what happened.
I immediately asked my partner to investigate when the last time Ray Rice suffered a concussion was. Sure enough, it happened the same year when he had previous concussions with some insignificant time difference between them.
While at the table, the guys asked me, if there was a medical massage protocol associated with such a rehabilitation. I told them that this protocol existed, was developed through research, and is clinically proven. Briefly, I explained the concept and what to do in such cases. If you would like to get familiar with the content based on which this protocol was implemented, you are welcome to read the part one and two of the article published in the Journal of Massage Science.
Certainly, it was terrible to witness a man punching his girlfriend as well as seeing her lifeless body dragged out of the elevator, and I absolutely understand the resulting emotional outcry and the reaction of the media.
Yet, I felt this incident required much deeper investigation before everybody automatically assumed the case of a violent domestic abuse. To me, Ray appeared as a post brain trauma person in need of treatment and rehabilitation. If he would be treated appropriately, most likely we wouldn't see what we saw.
Since that time, during the last three years already, I am expanding my practice and specializing in post-concussion rehabilitation.
It just the harsh and unpleasant reality that in the US car accidents spawn pandemic post-concussion encephalopathies phenomena. The treatment of car accidents became somewhat of an industry; that’s not even considering concussions, just counting in headaches and neck pain after accidents. A very high percentage of people who was involved in car accidents and sustained even mild misdiagnosed concussion could suffer from chronic headaches, bad quality of sleep, which with time develops into different levels of dementia, or even Alzheimer's disease.
Of course, I'm making a pretty significant claim, but this is what I see in my practice. Maybe we don't see the massive phenomenon of psychiatric behavioral disorders because not many people receiving repeated concussions, but many suffer from other post-concussion symptoms of brain dysfunction.
During my long career, I learned, practiced, and taught more than 60 medical massage protocols. Yet this October 8/9th it was the first time when I have presented post-concussion massage protocol seminar. I was very excited, and I would say, it was my best seminar ever.
What was amazing to me, and still is, was the fact that medical massage protocols are not only extremely powerful when treating back and limp disorders, but also its application can prevent brain dysfunctions such as psychiatric behavioral disorders, dementia/Alzheimer's disease, movement disorders, headaches and more. The word “amazing” is related to medical massage scientific and clinically proven power.
Now I would like to come back to the injustice to Ray Rice. It was job-related trauma, and now he is condemned?
Please read these case presentation
Post-Concussion Patient Testimonial
If not for medical massage, this person possibly could demonstrate psychiatric behavioral disorder.
>At the time of significant autonomic irregularity and brain dysfunction, moderate irritation can trigger irrational and even dangerous behavior. I believe NFL and the movement that made Ray Rice's a scapegoat owe him an apology and a financial compensation.
>On a separate note, in a way, I am happy that Ray Rice was forced to stop playing football because he surely would get more brain trauma and if not properly rehabilitated, he could end up like Mohammed Ali, rest in peace.
On the other hand, if in the early stages of concussion Mohammed Ali would have been rehabilitated from the post-concussion brain dysfunctions, he possibly could survive, become healthy again and even continue boxing. I mentioned in my previous article that the boxer Valeri Popenchenko continued to box after having a similar to Mohammad Ali brain trauma. He even won an Olympian gold and pursued his scientific career in physics.
We are happy to announce that Boris'
New instructional medical massage educational video, presenting the role of medical massage in post-concussion rehabilitation is now available!
Sign up and be the first to hear about latest special offers & updates.