Concussion Clinics and Programs
My doctor at Amen clinic was Dr. Lawrence Tucker. He has his own practice now. But when he was at Amen Clinics he was great. He knew exactly what to do. Sent me to get HBOT after I had the SPECT Scan and it worked. It got rid of the pain in my head. I’m working closely with Amen Clinics right now.
Cognitive FX (numerous doctors/therapists): my scientific miracle! They perform a brain scan unlike any other. It allows them to determine the areas of your brain that aren’t functioning correctly after a brain injury. They monitor 60 areas of the brain, while you perform cognitive tasks. This shows Dr. Mark Allen which areas of your brain are not getting enough blood flow & which areas are compensating by taking extra blood. They tailor treatment to YOUR brain. And after 5 days of treatment, you’re a new person! It’s truly unbelievable. It’s located in Provo, UT.
Neuro-Day Program at Wentworth Douglas Hospital (WDH)
I can’t speak at length of this treatment because I did not stay in this for very long as my symptoms were too severe. However, I did find them helpful. I also really like that WDH has the neuro program in place. Your providers are a team so they can talk to each other and bounce ideas. WDH also has the Wentworth Douglas Care van to pick you up and bring you home for appointments since for many driving is not an option at certain points in recovery/ very taxing to do before an appointment. I found they weren't equipped to deal with the severity of my symptoms so I had to seek alternate treatment.
University of Vermont Concussion Clinic (Doctor Rachel Barlow)
I was so excited that UVM had a concussion clinic…until I went. They had a long waitlist and when I finally got in I was severely underwhelmed. Doctor Barlow had little bedside manner and just tried drugs that didn’t work for me and recommended me to PT, speech, and OT. Maybe this would work for some, but it was not the right fit for me and was really discouraging.
Illinois Neurological Institution
They were my saving grace. I found out that I had post concussion syndrome and that I wasn’t crazy. It’ll be 3 years this September since my accident. The fight to try and overcome this is most definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever faced.
They helped me start to find my strength & rebuild. This was a very supportive facility. I went here for a few years.
Dusty Narducci, M.D. (USF Concussion Clinic), occipital nerve block: lidocaine initially completely numbed my migraine after 9 months of constant headaches, and the procedure was done incredibly well. Dr. Narducci made me feel very comfortable and explained every step of the procedure, as well as what our next steps will be. She has a great bedside manner and cares deeply for her patients.
Byron Moran, M.D. (USF Concussion Clinic), medication and treatment plan: Dr. Moran forms my treatment plan and refers me to specialists as needed. He’s extremely knowledgeable on concussions, and within one visit with him he pinpointed the mechanism of my injury and created an effective treatment plan. The only medication I currently take is a low dose of Adderall, which has been very effective for my pain and cognitive deficits. I cycled through all other forms of migraine medication and none of them were effective for me. Dr. Moran is willing to think outside of the box and make changes as needed, and he’s been very supportive and level-headed when making decisions about my treatment.