Traumatic Brain Injury
And More Serious Concussions
Sometimes traumatic brain injuries can cause a hematoma (blood clot within the brain) or can cause the brain to swell. The bruising of brain tissue (cerebral contusion) can also occur. If you suspect that you or someone else has experienced trauma to the brain, it is imperative to get to the emergency room as soon as possible for assessment. Often, damage can get worse after the brain injury happens, which makes early intervention crucial.
A New Approach to Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury and more Serious Concussions
A non-invasive, drug-free treatment to treat the after-effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury or concussion is now available in Dallas, Texas. Neurologist Dr. Spencer Miller has brought this incredible technology to Dallas. It’s called MeRT, which stands for Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy. Simply stated, we use a magnetic field to stimulate and balance brain function, guided by very sophisticated imaging and diagnostics.
Neurologist Dr. Spencer O. Miller uses MeRT treatment to address traumatic brain injury and serious concussions. If your concussion is not healing or you have had a Traumatic Brain Injury, you might benefit from this treatment.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) defines a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a blow to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue. An injury can also occur without a direct blow to the head, such as in an auto accident where the forces cause the head to move violently in one direction and then snap back in another direction. This causes the brain to be jostled around inside the skull and can also injure the brain.
MeRT Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury
Here at the Brain Treatment Center Dallas, Dr. Miller and his staff offer MeRT treatment protocols for traumatic brain injuries. MeRT is a unique and improved version of TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation). This treatment is a much more individualized approach to brain modulation tailored to the patient’s needs based on frequency, location, and power used. TMS modulates the brain’s electrical activity by using magnetic fields that pass through the scalp from an electromagnetic coil, however, it is important to note that TMS is a generalized approach to neuromodulation because it can only target a single location in the brain with a single frequency. We perform a quantitative EEG before treatment so that we can get a precise look at YOUR brain to customize a treatment protocol specifically for you.
While the neuromodulation equipment used in the MeRT has been cleared by the FDA in the treatment of depression that has been resistant to medications, it may also be used off-label for other disorders in the practice of medicine. These include traumatic brain injury and other brain disorders.
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Once we complete treatment, there is not usually a need for any follow-up treatment for traumatic brain injury.
*patient results can vary
How MeRT Differs from Standard TMS
MeRT stands for Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy. MeRTis a cutting-edge treatment protocol that combines technologies of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Quantitative Electroencephalogram (qEEG), and Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) to analyze and formulate treatments that are tailored for each individual’s unique brain pattern.
Most TMS treatments are used to deliver stimulation to one area of the brain at a fixed frequency for all patients, however, MeRTis more evolved. This customized, scientific approach is unique to each patient.
We analyze each patient’s initial tests very carefully as to the brain’s pattern of function and activity. Through this detailed analysis, we can determine the correct neural synchronization. This information is then used to devise a highly personalized protocol for each patient, with the purpose of encouraging improved brain communication. Patients have reported feeling significant clinical improvements after going through treatment.*
Treatment for TBI usually lasts 4-6 weeks. Appointments are 30-45 minutes in length, Monday through Friday. Generally, the patient will begin to notice improvements during the first week.
“The brain has an intrinsic frequency and… it’s different for everybody.”
And if you can align all of the brain tissue to operate under that same frequency, that’s called synchrony coherence efficiency. …
“We [can] see on an EEG… that there is an abnormal signal somewhere in the brain — or a low frequency or discrepancy or asynchrony in frequencies — parts of the brain are not aligned. And we can use electromagnetic energy. It’s like an MRI, except we’re actually transmitting the force back into the brain, and we align with a purer, stronger electrical signal. …
“We’re really seeking to balance the function of the brain.”
Dr. Spencer O. Miller, Neurologist, Owner and Medical Director of Brain Treatment Center Dallas
Spencer O. Miller, M.D. is a Board-Certified Neurologist in Dallas, Texas. He received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and has been in practice for 13 years, five of which were in the USAF. He saw all types of brain injuries, including soldiers suffering from PTSD and TBI. Dr. Miller specializes in the treatment of ADHD, sleep disorders, traumatic brain injury, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, dementia, autism, and multiple other brain disorders at his clinic, the Brain Treatment Center Dallas.
Call our New Patient Coordinator
For more information. Or Fill out the Form below.
For patients who have a moderate head injury, approximately 60% will make a positive recovery, and about 25% will have moderately impaired function. The ones with severe injuries have moderate-to-severe disabilities.
33% of those with severe head traumas will not survive, and the ones remaining might be in a vegetative state. These statistics apply to closed-head injuries.
Athletes are particularly prone to traumatic brain injuries. Elderly people are at higher risk for TBI because as they age, they become more prone to falls.
Children and teens are also at higher risk because they are more active in sports and other physical activities.
Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Milder cases can cause a brief alteration in a person’s mental state. It is entirely possible for a person to have a TBI and not experience a loss of consciousness, though in more severe cases, loss of consciousness usually occurs. Severe cases of TBI can result in long periods of unconsciousness or coma, or death.
People with severe TBI have to be hospitalized, sometimes long-term. They may need rehabilitation for memory, learning, coordination, speech, and other senses, and even for emotions. The injury can affect all aspects of a person’s life, including their relationships, their ability to work again, or the ability to complete day-to-day activities.
Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury vary based on severity but can include:
- Confusion.
- Loss of consciousness.
- Headache.
- Lethargy.
- Dilated pupils.
- Vision changes.
- Memory loss.
- Dizziness.
- Cognitive difficulties.
- Emotional responses that aren’t appropriate.
- Facial weakness or weakness in other parts of the body.
- Loss of control of bowel and/or bladder.
- Breathing problems.
- Numbness or tingling in any part of the body.
- Changes in hearing or ringing in ears.
- Anxiety and/or depression.
The Center for Disease Control weighs in on Childhood Head Traumas:
Testimony: Tait Fletcher, Actor, Stuntman, and Former MMA Fighter
I’d just always ‘outworked’ it. After the last concussion, that wasn’t an option, even though I had previously walked off a dozen concussions. It’s vital to know that not all TBIs result in massive concussions, but they all add to the erosion of the mind and self, if untreated. Through EEG, MeRT, and some subtle sleep and attention shifts, I’ve had a radical, nourishing, strengthening, and dare I say, “healing,” that has brought me to see life through a filter I’ve never known was available. Giving life a chance is sometimes just staying in “the Try.” If you are damaged, confused, and at the end, know that you have allies that you’ve never met before.”
Tait Fletcher
Results from His MeRT Treatment
After undergoing the MeRT himself, the EEG showed that the right frontal lobe that was previously turned off began to function and awaken again. He noticed he could think more clearly, was no longer depressed, was less anxious, and his sleep drastically improved. His family and students commented on how much his demeanor and mood had changed.
While in California, Dr. Miller also interacted with another patient who had severe autism and saw what the treatment did for this child. It was these two experiences that led him down a different career path. Now, it is his mission to get the word out about the incredible things that this treatment can do for so many brain disorders and how it can change people’s lives! He opened the Brain Treatment Center Dallas in 2018 so that he could help others heal. Click here for more information about Dr. Miller.
Dr. Miller’s Personal Experience with Traumatic Brain Injury
Our very own Dr. Miller had an interesting experience with his own traumatic brain injury. In fact, this experience was the catalyst for him to change the course of his career and open the Brain Treatment Center in Dallas. MeRT treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury is still under review with the FDA. However, we do expect approval in the near future.
Dr. Miller was first approached by another physician, who introduced him to the MeRT protocol. He was skeptical but agreed to go to the training center in California in July 2018 to learn more about the treatment.
Undergoing MeRT Treatment
As part of his training, he was required to go through MeRT himself. After his initial EEG, the technicians pointed out a traumatic brain injury on the scan. This completely threw Dr. Miller for a loop because he did not recall having a TBI, and he had undergone MRIs in the past, which did not show any injury. The staff in California asked Dr. Miller to call his mother to see if she remembered his having any type of head injury. As soon as he posed the question to his mother, she answered YES, and told him he had had a skateboarding injury at 9 when he fell and hit the right side of his head.
She said that his head was swollen like a balloon on the right side and that he had been down for two solid weeks. Dr. Miller had no memory of this occurring. When he looked at the EEG, he noted that the right frontal lobe of his brain was operating in the delta frequency, which is the frequency that normally occurs during deep sleep. The rest of his brain waves were normal, in the Alpha frequency, which occurs when the patient is awake but has his eyes closed (like he was when completing the EEG). He was shocked to find out that part of his brain had been “turned off” for all those years.
MeRT Treatment Featured on Dr. Mark Hyman’s “Broken Brain” Podcast for TBI and PTSD
The famous podcast “The Broken Brain,” promoted by Dr. Mark Hyman, featured MeRT for the treatment of PTSD, Concussions, and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). If you or someone you know has experienced any of these conditions, it is certainly worth listening to this.
Dr. Erik Won, from our Brain Treatment Center in California, speaks about using this technology to treat members of the military who have had traumatic brain injuries, concussions, or who have experienced PTSD because of their experiences, with many incredible successes.
With other repercussions that can occur for both military and veterans, this is incredibly important. For example, suicide is at twice the rate for veterans, with approximately 17 veteran deaths per day. In a high-stress environment, such as serving in the military, the transition afterward can be complicated, and there are often underlying reasons for conditions that may occur. MeRT may help to address these issues.
We highly recommend you listen to this incredible presentation.
Starting as a New Patient
When you start as a new patient at the Brain Treatment Center Dallas, you will initially need two appointments, approximately two days apart. Both appointments will be about an hour in length. These appointments will be used to determine if Dr. Miller feels you can truly benefit from the MeRT [Magnetic e-Resonance Treatment] Program and, if so, to develop a tailored treatment plan based on your test results. After testing and Consultation, you are not obliged to begin treatment. This is something that you will determine once you have seen your test results and consulted with Dr. Miller.
Initial Testing
At the first appointment, we will go over your reasons for seeking help, your medical history, your health goals, and all of your symptoms. You will then begin initial testing, which will involve an EEG and an EKG. These are both completely painless and easy and done right in our office. We then send your information and test results to our scientific and clinical teams, who will carefully analyze the results and determine the current state and functioning of the brain together with Dr. Miller.
We use a patented, scientific approach with the neurophysiological data gathered through testing to develop a highly customized treatment plan aimed at encouraging healthy brain communication and function.
Consultation
At your second appointment, you will meet with Dr. Miller for a Consultation. He will discuss your test results and whether he and our scientific team feel you may achieve results through our treatment protocol. This appointment will also serve to answer any additional questions you may have. After that second appointment, Dr. Miller will lay out your individualized treatment plan and the protocols to be followed for the best results. At that point, you may discuss fees, length of treatment, and schedules, and then decide whether to go forward and schedule your treatment.
Test Run – The Assessment
We deliver the MeRT protocol using TMS. You simply sit in a comfortable chair while a trained technician carefully positions a simple device on your head. This device produces a magnetic field to induce mild electrical currents in the targeted regions of the brain. There is no pain and no electrical currents, just a slight sensation.
We will perform an additional EEG and EKG after about a week of treatment, allowing us to assess progress and make any needed modifications. In this way, we are always taking the best and most exacting approach based on the current neurological state.
Insurance Coverage
Unfortunately, we do not accept insurance, nor file it on your behalf. However, we can provide you with CPT codes and a billing breakdown. You can submit these to your insurance for possible reimbursement for conditions that have been FDA-cleared such as Major Depressive Disorder and OCD. On occasion, individuals have been successful in receiving reimbursement for EEGs and clinical evaluations, and possibly other elements for treatment, depending on the individual’s coverage. It has been our experience that Medicare does not reimburse any of the treatment costs.
Contact our New Patient Coordinator for More Information about MeRT
When many patients come to see us, they have lost hope, as they don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel.
It’s rewarding as a practitioner to help so many people realize a much better “normal” and improved quality of life.
If you have questions or would like to discuss our treatment protocols, we offer a free consultation by phone.
Our New Patient Coordinator will take the time to listen and explain. She is able to answer most questions and discuss our protocols, scheduling, fees, and other information. She is happy to assist you in any way she can.
Please call us to get more information about how our clinic and Dr. Miller may help you with your health goals and to schedule an initial screening to see if MeRT may be an option.
Call our New Patient Coordinator
For more information. Or Fill out the Form below.
