Episode #89- TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY w/ Dr. Mark Gordon

The Doctor Dads Podcast

A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a complex and convoluted process that leads to the disruption of brain function.

The initial injury, can be represented by traumatic or non-traumatic injuries. In traumatic injuries there is a transfer of physical energy from outside the individual to the inside which might be represented by blunt head trauma as in an assault, blast wave trauma from an IED, acceleration-decceleration injury as in a motor vehicle accident or a fall, and repetitive impact injury as in boxing, gunfire, football, and even skiing. Non-traumatic injuries can be precipitated by chronic stress, certain medications, x-rays, surgical procedures, viral and bacterial infections, auto-immune illnesses, and inflammatory bowel diseases to name a few.

Regardless of the causation, the effect is the turning on of cells in the brain called Microglia. These are the main immune cells in the brain that protects us from infections and help to keep our brain clear from the accumulation of by-products of cellular metabolism, death, and bad chemistry.

Over time, the inflammation generated can affect your cognitive and emotional health which is associated with poor short and long-term memory, emotional lability and one or more mood disorders such as depression, anxiety, and bi-polar disorder. Recent scientific literature is making the association of these inflammatory cytokines with all formed of neurodegenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Originally residency trained and board certified in Family Medicine (1984), Dr. Mark L. Gordon continued his medical education in Clinical Orthopedics (1990), Cosmetic Dermatology (1993), and Sports Medicine. His book, The Clinical Application of Interventional Medicine (2008), is recognized by his peers as a primer for the standards of care and assessment for Interventional Endocrinology (anti-aging medicine).

He is currently the Medical Director of CBS Studios (2001-date), and has also participated on projects with HBO, ESPN, CNN, FOX, Good Morning, and a number of international news programs. Dr. Gordon has appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience (#438, #574, #700, #1056) to discuss Traumatic Brain Injury associated hormonal dysfunction syndrome which generated national and international interest. In May 2015, his book Traumatic Brain Injury – A clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment, was launched along with a three-day workshop attended by an international and national group of medical specialists seeking advanced training in the diagnosis and treatment of TBI. Dr. Mark Gordon is the owner and Medical Director of Millennium-TBI, located in Encino, California.

Learn more about what Dr. Gordon is doing at: WWW.TBIHELPNOW.ORG