Why is Brain Health so important to me?
Aside from being a Naturopathic Doctor, I’m also a certified Athletic Trainer. During my 8+ years of actively working in the field, I have seen 100s, more likely, a 1000 concussions. Athletic Trainers are one of the most highly trained professionals that manage traumatic brain injuries. We see them in their most critical initial moments and assess them before returning them to play.
During this time, I ran the Army and Navy Academy’s very first baseline concussion testing program. We used both SCAT 4 and Impact testing at the event and when evaluating athletes for return to play.
I clearly remember sending an athlete off to the hospital on a backboard with a possible spinal injury. He came back to school with a diagnosis of concussion, his second one that year.
When he returned from the hospital, he told me he recently had episodes of getting lost on campus. Imagine that for a moment, a young 17-year-old man experiencing Alzheimer-like symptoms that included not knowing where he was on the campus he’d lived on for the past 2 years. Watching this boy, and more youth athletes like him, lose his connections to the cognitive abilities that allow for independent adult lives broke my heart. I wanted to help their quality of life. That’s my intention for my practice, to improve the quality of life for everyone.
As a Naturopathic Medical student, I shadowed at the Amen Clinics in Bellevue, WA under Kabram Chapek, ND. I also completed clinical rotations in both neurology and mental health. I have done additional training in craniosacral therapy, visceral manipulation, myofascial release, bilateral nasal specifics, mold illness, and functional neurology. I am certified as a mold literate doctor by Dr. Jill Crista, ND. I have attended conferences including the OHSU brain summit, OSU concussion conference, Integrative Mental Health Conference, and Brain Injury Alliance conference.
The good thing about brains is that they are always growing. I guess that is why, as people, we are always growing too. As a Naturopathic Doctor, I strive to always be 'learning', and I encourage my patients to do the same. We will use education and empowerment to get to the root cause of your symptoms. And build a treatment and recovery plan to get you living your optimal life.
There is one more reason that I am so passionate about brain and mental health. This past June, after years of battling chronic fatigue, my doctor diagnosed me with mycotoxin illness. Add that to my head injury history from my years as a collegiate soccer player, and I have direct experience with healing the brain and nervous system. So yeah, I understand the struggle of brain fog, headaches, and chronic fatigue first hand.
I understand how it feels to just–not feel yourself. I also understand the nuances of the challenges you’ll face on this healing journey. I strive to listen to your story and experience so we can get to the root cause of your symptoms and onto your path to a stronger, healthier brain.
If you’d like to learn more about what I do and how I can support you or someone you love, visit my private practice website, TreeRootMedicine.com. You can schedule a Free consultation or Telemedicine appointment there, or call MediPro Holistic Health to schedule an In-Person appointment in Beaverton, OR.
