Episode 5 – Dr. Hendre Viljoen
Today’s episode features Dr. Hendre Viljoen, neuropsychologist and Director of HeadWise Rehabilitation – an organization focusing on assessing and treating individuals with head injuries and neuropsychological challenges.
In addition to his work at HeadWise Rehabilitation, Dr. Viljoen is a Consulting Forensic Neuropsychologist with BC Mental Health and Addiction Services Forensic Psychiatric Services (an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority), conducting neuropsychological, psychological and risk assessments of offenders at pre-sentencing and post-disposition. He is a Clinical Associate with Simon Fraser University, supervising doctoral candidates in the Neuropsychology and Clinical Psychology programs.
In this episode, Hendre and I discuss:
- Current approaches to concussion treatment, and how concussion treatment has changed over the past decade
- Distinguishing between a concussion and post-concussion syndrome, and expectations for recovery
- The impact that depression and anxiety have on concussion symptoms
- The physiological changes occur in the brain following head injury, and how they affect physical pain such as tension and headaches
- How deep breathing, progressive muscle reaction, and mindfulness strategies work to reduce anxiety and stress
If you want more information on Hendre, visit his website www.headwise.ca or look him up on LinkedIn. Hendre also provided the following resources on mindfulness and concussion management:
- Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom, by Rick Hanson (2009)
- Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn (2013)
- cattonline.com – Evidence based resource developed for Canadian health care providers. Includes helpful handouts and concise articles about concussion assessment and management.
- http://onf.org/documents/guidelines-for-concussion-mtbi-persistent-symptoms-second-edition Detailed and comprehensive guidelines for concussion management by the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, for adults over 18 years of age.
- Return to school/sport guidelines and resources for parents from the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/pdf/pediatricmtbiguidelineeducationaltools/2018-mTBI_Recovery-508.pdf
Click below to listen to the podcast:
