Resilient First Responders Inc

Resilient First Responders Inc is a 501 (c)(3) designated non-profit organization whose purpose is to expand access to naturopathic medical care for first responders (police officers, paramedics, emergency room personnel, firefighters, and military personnel) who have been harmed in the line of duty, and their families.

The Stats

• The CDC reports 47,511 deaths due to suicide in the US every year [1], and first responders are at higher risk than the general population.[2]

How PTSD Happens

The following is an excerpt from the Pathophysiology section of the PTSD article on Uptodate:

While much of the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is unclear, interesting research findings are accruing. Studies using magnetic resonance imaging scans have shown that there is decreased volume of the hippocampus, left amygdala, and anterior cingulate cortex in patients with PTSD compared with matched controls [46,47]. Other reports have demonstrated increased central norepinephrine levels with down-regulated central adrenergic receptors [48], chronically decreased glucocorticoid levels with up-regulation of their receptors (possibly accounting for the anecdotal finding that there are more autoimmune diseases in these patients), and hemispheric lateralization in which there is a relative failure of left hemispheric function (possibly accounting for confusion related to time sequence of traumatic events) [49].][3]

In more common language, the first step in PTSD is that the brain (or nerves in general) is overstimulated by something.  Whether the trauma occurs due to a physical injury, chemical poisoning, or a flood of adrenaline when in a stressful situation, the physiological response of the nervous system is the same.  The nerves need to produce energy to re-polarize their cell membranes, and if they can’t produce enough energy, then they go to sleep.  These “brownouts” in the brain can have many different effects, depending on which part of the brain is affected. For example, if the frontal cortex is affected, the person may have issues controlling impulses or be quick to anger.  If the cerebellum is affected, the person may have more issues with balance and postural muscle tone.

Our Approach

IASIS Microcurrent Neurofeedback: Improves lymphatic drainage from the brain, clearing metabolic waste and allowing bloodflow back into areas of the brain that have been turned off by overstimulation. [4]

Exercise with Oxygen Therapy: By elevating the heart rate while breathing higher than normal physically decongests arteries, leading to improved tissue perfusion.

Craniosacral and Fascial work: Unwinding the fascia around the muscles, nerves, arteries, veins, lymphatic system and brain allows for better tissue function.  Fascia can contract, and when there is an injury or a scar in an area, that tissue’s function can be compromised both mechanically (restriction of motion) and biochemically (reduced blood flow).

Improving Mitochondrial Function: If the mitochondria don’t have the nutrients that they need to produce energy, the threshold for nervous system overstimulation will be lower.  It is metabolically expensive to rehabilitate the nervous system in cases of PTSD, so supporting patients’ metabolism at a cellular level definitely improves outcomes.

Neurological Rehabilitation: Activation of nerves while using red light can serve to reset and circuits have been tripped by overstimulation.  This technique can be used to rehabilitate the nerves that coordinate muscle function, the nerves that bring in sensory input, and even the nerves in the brainstem that allow us to see, smell, taste, and hear.

Healing the Gut: We now know that if the gut is inflamed, then the brain is inflamed.  This relationship is established via the vagus nerve, and stimulation of said nerve can improve PTSD symptoms.

If this organization is one that you wish to support, there are several ways that you can help:

Donations: Any donations to the organization are tax-deductible on Section A of the IRS’s form 1040. Donate.

Shop through Amazon Smile: Using the website https://smile.amazon.com/ch/87-1036027 lets amazon know to donate 0.5% of the purchase price of the items you buy to the non-profit of your choice.  The easiest way to implement this is to bookmark amazon smile instead of typing amazon into the search bar when you are going to start shopping.  This website uses an orange favicon with a white amazon logo instead of the black a and orange arrow.

Introductions: If you know someone in a leadership role in one of the above fields (for example a police chief, hospital administrator, etc.) we would love to speak with them about what we can offer the people they are taking care of.

Referrals: If you have a relationship with a first responder who you think could benefit from our services, encourage them to reach out to us.

Sources