Head injuries are the most costly workers’ compensation claims. According to NCCI, the average incurred cost per claim for a head injury in a work-related injury is $46,898 in 2004-2005 (the most recent statistics I could find)(page 55 of National Safety Council’s 2008 Injury Statistics).
More than 5 million Americans suffer with traumatic brain injury (TBI), mostly the result of car accidents and falls — many of which are work-related. TBI is more disabling than most realized. The typical presenting symptoms are memory loss, decreased concentration, difficulty staying on task, fatigue and other, often vague complaints. Because little is seen on MRI or CT scan, symptoms seems “psychological” or even exaggerated, and it is not difficult to dismiss complaints as psychological or such a person as a symptom magnifier.
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“The 6-Step Process To Determine Workers’ Comp Injury Causation”
Until recently there has been no effective treatment. There is an emerging technology called EEG biofeedback, or neurofeedback that is unusually effective in helping with this very real problem. Neurofeedback looks at the brain as a bioelectric system; large neural networks firing in a coordinated manner. Problems are analogougs to the spark plugs in a car not firing properly. A “disregulation” occurs, and the brain does not function properly.
Neurofeedback helps the brain balance and self-regulate. Physiological changes are seen in the brainwaves, which are electrical recordings of the brain function analogous to an electrocardiogram (EKG), which is an electrical recording of the heart.
Neurofeedback technology has been found very effective for certain pain syndromes, ADD (as effective as Ritalin, making continued medication unnecessary), acute anxiety, and PTSD. There are also reports of effectiveness in some RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy).
Neurofeedback is a rapidly emerging technology. Not all neurofeedback systems and programs are equally effective even when you can find a practitioner.
