Caroline had a Spinal Stroke in 2020 and was paralysed from the waist down. She suffered neuropathic pain – combination of pain occurring when our nervous system is damaged – including from the peripheral nerves, spinal cord, and brain.

She was unable to focus on anything other than the pain. Life became hard and she found herself staring blankly out the window, trying not to move. Daily activities became difficult and uncomfortable.

A glimmer of hope…

A friend introduced Caroline to The Brain Collective and she started a course of neurofeedback training. She was greatly encouraged when she noticed she started to feel happier and more like her usual self. The pain, while present was not at the forefront of her thoughts or life.

Her self -confidence improved and she is convinced the training has helped her be the best she can be. She has since taken control of her life and is now considering returning to work.

Looking beyond the Paralysis

Ellen’s testimonial in her own words –

‘The staff at the brain collective are wonderful, compassionate, and caring to each individual’s needs. They listened to my history and what I felt were the problems and then suggested treatment. I truly feel that without their help I would not have the positive outlook I have now.

Melanie and Maria genuinely care and have gone above and beyond with my treatment including consulting with contacts in America and trying equipment that may benefit.

The treatment has had a ripple effect. It has helped my husband, children, and the wider family and I cannot thank The Brain Collective enough for helping me see beyond the paralysis and pain and find myself again.’’

Grappling Coronavirus

It was March 2020. Medics across the NHS have been suffering with Covid, anxiety and PTSD.

Robert, a front-line doctor was working flat out when he contracted Covid and was almost hospitalised. His blood stats fell to 83. His physical recovery itself took months.

He kept going, as doctors do, returning to work amidst daunting pressure, self-doubt, and worry.

In the months following his illness he suffered a variety of symptoms. The whole world seemed foggy. He found it extremely hard to concentrate and focus on anything.

He suffered worrying memory loss. He commented it gave him an insight into what it must feel like to have dementia.

Extreme fatigue plagued him to the point where he would come home halfway through the day and go to bed. His sleep was constantly disrupted.

The combination of these factors inevitably caused anxiety and depression.

He fell ill again, post-vaccination, with a renewed intense revival of all negative symptoms.

Overwhelmed and beaten down, he reached out to the Brain Collective for help.

Chris’s story is inextricably linked with the story of the Brain Collective and its raison d’etre. His story marks the inception of the Brain Collective, culminating in the triumph of a young man who, after completing a degree in Science, joined our team as clinician, with a special focus on brain and sports injuries.

It was for Chris that his mother Maria, one of our founders, hunted for and found solutions in neurofeedback therapy and brought the technology to the UK from abroad.

Living with PTSD

At birth Chris was restless and inconsolable. After being egregiously ill-treated by a nanny, Chris struggled with different things. Sending him to a prep school at three-and-a-half to avail of smaller class sizes was unhelpful. While he coped with mental arithmetic, understanding patterns, and learning times tables, he couldn’t do anything non-linear. He struggled to read.

One of the worst consequences of having additional needs is the verbal onslaught of derision that came from ignorant bystanders. He was constantly told in school he had bad handwriting. He couldn’t read, couldn’t do this or that. The effects to his self-esteem were heart-rending.