Chronic Stress and the Gut-Brain Axis: The Neglected Link in Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury

Prolonged stress that accompanies Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) changes gene activity in immune cells causing them to fight an infection that does not exist or perceive an event as a new traumatic event, or the continuation of the trauma experienced, triggering an accumulation of inflammation that is associated with an array of health problems including to the gut microbiome, which upholds an integral role in the gut-brain axis. Through numerous evidenced-based therapeutic processes, the encounters that create the dysfunction are identified and addressed. Interventions must provide not only a holistic approach to treatment, but a whole-person, environmental approach that includes improving clients’ internal and external environments. This presentation will provide you with a snapshot into various therapeutic interventions that can be incorporated today to improve the everyday lives of the clients and families that suffer from the traumas of brain injury.