IASIS Neurofeedback for concussion and TBI

A concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a medical event that deserves appropriate evaluation and care. But recovery doesn't always end when the initial injury has been assessed.

In the weeks or months that follow, you may still feel foggy, tired, irritable, or easily overwhelmed. Headaches may linger. Sleep may be disrupted. Busy environments may suddenly feel like too much. You may find yourself more sensitive to light, sound, stress, or activity—or simply feel like you don't quite feel like yourself.

Sometimes, these symptoms continue even when imaging is clear or the acute injury has resolved. That's where understanding the nervous system can offer another piece of the picture.

The nervous system after a head injury

Your autonomic nervous system is constantly evaluating what is happening inside and around you, looking for cues of safety, threat, or the need for protection. This process is termed neuroception.

A sudden injury can be a powerful signal of threat to the nervous system. Pain, inflammation, disrupted sleep, sensory changes, physical limitations, and the experience of the injury itself can all add to the body's sense that something isn't right.

From a Polyvagal perspective, the nervous system may respond by shifting into protective states—mobilization such as fight-or-flight, or, when demands feel overwhelming, forms of shutdown or withdrawal. These responses are not signs that something is wrong with you. They are protective responses designed to help you cope.

The challenge is that after an injury, the nervous system can sometimes remain more vigilant or reactive even as the original threat has passed. You may notice that it takes less stimulation to feel overwhelmed, that your body stays tense, or that ordinary demands suddenly require much more energy.

In other words, recovery may involve more than healing from the injury itself. It may also involve helping the nervous system recognize that it is safe to gradually come out of protection.

Our guide to understanding your nervous system explains these protective states and how they can influence the way you feel, think, sleep, and respond to stress.

IASIS is one tool we use to support the recovery process. We can also combine nervous system-informed coaching to learn tools to help create the conditions for greater regulation, capacity, and resilience as the brain and body continue to adapt.

Coaching can be especially meaningful after a head injury, which is often lonely and frustrating. You may be grieving the version of yourself that felt sharp and steady, and pushing through in ways that keep your system on high alert. Learning to recognize your reactions and how to support them empowers you in your return to health. Coaching is educational and supportive in nature. It is not therapy or mental health treatment and is not intended to replace appropriate medical or mental health care.

Medical evaluation comes first. Any head injury, especially with loss of consciousness, vomiting, worsening headache, or confusion, needs prompt medical attention. Apex NeuroCare is a wellness practice in a home studio in Apex, NC, serving the Triangle in person and coaching clients online, working alongside your physician or concussion team.

Our work tends to suit people who:

• have been medically evaluated and are following that guidance, but still feel foggy, wired, or worn down;
• want a gentle, passive, drug-free option;
• are curious about working with their nervous system rather than fighting it;
• can sit comfortably in a chair for about 30 minutes (our home studio is not currently wheelchair accessible).

IASIS MCN does not interfere with medication; clients are encouraged to consult their prescribing physician about any changes they notice.