SFTT’s Recommended Treatments and Therapies For Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Stand for the Troops (SFTT) constantly updates and expands its Rescue Coalition of Partners for American Combat Veterans who are afflicted with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The following list of treatments and therapies has been approved by the SFTT Medical Task Force:
Cranial Electrical Stimulation (CES) occurs when a patient, using an FDA-approved device, creates a modulated electrical current that helps the brain produce serotonin and other neurochemicals responsible for healthy mood and sleep. Proven safe and effective in multiple published studies, this therapy also alleviates the symptoms of depression, anxiety and insomnia plaguing many American Combat Veterans.
EEG Neurofeedback (High Performance Neurofeedback) is a noninvasive procedure that involves monitoring and analyzing EEG signals read through surface sensors on the scalp, and uses the EEG itself to send a tiny, imperceptible signal to the brain that causes a slight fluctuation in brainwaves. This fluctuation allows the brain freedom from frozen, stuck patterns of thought thereby reorganizing or resetting itself. Recent research has demonstrated EEG Neurofeedback’s effectiveness in reducing the symptoms of anxiety, depression, TBI, PTSD, and addiction, among other invisible injuries that American Combat Veterans experience.
Therapeutic Horseback Riding (THR), based on the interaction between horses and riders has been demonstrated to increase riders’ confidence, self-esteem, sensory sensitivity, and social motivation while decreasing stress.
Equine-Assisted Therapy for PTSD (EAT-TSD) does not include riding horses. It’s designed to reduce symptoms of PTSD through various interactive exercises with the horses. Veterans learn how their actions, intentions, expectations, and tone have an impact on their relationship with the horses. By then drawing connections to their own PTSD symptoms helps to increase emotional awareness and the ability to regulate emotions and behaviors to more effectively interact with the horses (and ultimately with the people in their lives).
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) employs oxygen at greater than atmospheric pressure to treat basic disease processes. Since 2012, seven consecutive high-quality clinical trials have demonstrated the ability for HBOT to heal physical damage to the brain and reduce the symptoms of both TBI and/or PTSD in American Combat Veterans.
individualized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (iTMS) directs short magnetic pulses to the area of the brain in need of stimulation to help synchronize the alpha waves and restore balanced brain wave activity. In a person whose brain activity has had its frequency disrupted by a physical or emotional trauma, the brain’s waves may appear imbalanced. Recent research has demonstrated the effectiveness of iTMS in reducing the symptoms of anxiety, depression, TBI, PTSD, and addiction, among other invisible injuries, plaguing many American Combat Veterans.
Low-Level Light Therapy (LLLT), also commonly known as Photobiomodulation (PBM), is the application of light in the red and near-infrared wavelengths to stimulate and regenerate damaged or degenerating tissue. Recent research has demonstrated that transcranial applications can heal physical damage to the brain and reduce the symptoms of both TBI and/or PTSD in American Combat Veterans.
Medical Research is conducted by Dr. Yuval Neria, SFTT’s Scientific Advisor and Professor of Medical Psychology at the Departments of Psychiatry and Epidemiology at Columbia University Medical Center, and Director of Trauma and PTSD at New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI). Dr. Neria is on the forefront of identifying innovative medical treatments for TBI and/or PTSD that improves the quality of life of American Combat Veterans.
Organic Farming gives American Combat Veterans the opportunity to gain hands-on experience as an organic farmer. By planting, pruning, growing and cultivating both food and flowers, those suffering from TBI and/or PTSD can learn a skill that’s sustainable, resilient, healthy, practical and life-affirming.
Service Dogs provide American Combat Veterans with a companion who bestows unconditional love. Restorative and transforming, the bond that forms between a Service Dog and its Veteran-Owner has been shown to alleviate the invisible wounds of TBI and/or PTSD.
Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a wellness therapy used to achieve a mental and physical relaxation that extends beyond the two daily 20-minute sessions when it’s practiced. Substantial research indicates that TM is among the most successful alternative wellness therapies (such as yoga, acupuncture, mindfulness training) in helping American Combat Veterans manage the symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression.