Find answers to your questions by browsing the entries on this page or selecting a category below.  Still have question?  Click the 'Ask A Question' button and send your inquiry directly to Dr. Swingle.
 
 
Q - I live in Edmonton. I need treatment for depression/sleep disorder. Could you recommend any clinic?

A - Try Dr. Horst Mueller at 780-423-6633.
Q - I have a 13 yr.old daughter who has been diagnosed with both ADD & ODD. She has been medicated for six years as her behaviors were so violent, dangerous and disruptive. After all other forms of treatment that we were aware of were exhausted. The ADD we can handle but the ODD derails any progress we make. Does your program have any effect with ODD?

A - The treatment of ODD involves behavioural as well as neurological therapies. Typically, the ODD child has a deficiency at the back of the brain associated with problems with quieting as well as an imbalance in the frontal regions associated with the oppositional predisposition. We work closely with parents to implement behavioural programs as well. The ADD is the least of the problem, as you note, whereas the ODD behaviors can be severe. It is also important to note that head injury can give rise to behaviors that can mimic ODD such as poor social regulation, poor impulse regulation, aggressive and rage behaviour. The first step is to have a brain assessment to determine the exact nature of the problem. Neurotherapy in conjunction with behavioral therapies have been successful in markedly improving the behaviour of the ODD child.
Q - My daughter have been having seizures since four months old, when she had her baby needles. Since then she has try many types of medications, keto diet, corpus colostomy. She is now 22years old. Would you recommend treatment for her? She has seizures daily.

A - Yes, I would definitely recommend neurotherapy for your daughter. Neurotherapy has been found helpful in situations such as you describe. If you let us know where you are located we can see if we can recommend a CERTIFIED practitioner in your area.
Q - Our eight year old son is moderately autistic and speech delayed, for the last four years he has received ABA therapy. He hasn't made any significant advances in the last year. Can you please help him.

A - The first step is to contact our offices to set-up an initial brain assessment to determine the exact nature and location of the problem(s). Subsequent neurotherapeutic treatment focuses on improving the problematic areas in the brain as identified in the initial intake assessment. To schedule an appointment call our offices at 604-608-0444. If you are not in the Vancouver area or cannot come to our clinic call our reception at the same number and we may be able to recommend a qualified practitioner in your area.
Q - A while ago I had asked Dr. Swingle about companies that sell these brain machines and give training courses. He gave me a name of a company in California... or was it Seattle... that did this, but I have since lost those names. Can you provide them to me again please? Thank you very much!

A - I think you are referring to either Stens-biofeedback.com or Thoughttechnology.com
Q - I have an 11 year old daughter who has been diagnosed with PDD-NOS. We live in the Vancouver area, is there a clinic near here?

A - Our clinic is at 1190 Melville Street in downtown Vancouver. You can call Alisa at 604-608-0444 for information about our clinic and to schedule an initial appointment.
Q - My husband had a post radiation stroke in March of 2007 (he had a pre-cancerous tumour removed from his right frontal lobe in March 2004, followed by a 6 week course of radiation). The stroke happened in the tiny arteries in the center of his brain, and has left him with a right sided weakness, speech difficulties, incontinence, impulsiveness and cognitive difficulties. He was 45 years old when the stroke happened, he is now 47. After many attempts at rehab, he has now learned to walk for the third time - he walks independently with a quad cane and a spotter, but he still has some issues with movement of his right foot/ankle/leg. He had regained just about full usage of his right arm (fine motor being the remaining issue, and certain positions reaching from right to left), but with delays in funding, he has lost most of that movement again. He is impulsive at times; not having a true picture of his abilities, he does not always have a grasp on his situation i.e. will talk of going to work tomorrow, but has not worked since the stroke etc. He is currently living in a rehab (care) facility, and has improved greatly. My concern is the plan is to bring him home eventually, and right now he is not safe to be left at home alone. My questions are these, do you feel that neurotherapy would be useful for him? Will it help such things as incontinence? Confusion? Cognitive issues? Impulsiveness? How often are the treatments done/necessary? Is the brain mapping QEEG covered under medical or through Blue Cross? Do you know if plans such as Blue Cross cover this type of therapy? And lastly, if funding is an issue, does your company provide some sort of assistance? I have a good job with a good plan, but the majority of my income is sucked up just with day to day expenses and paying for the care home he is currently living in. Sorry that my question is so long winded, thank you in advance for your information.

A - We treat many clients with stroke and traumatic brain injuries. In general, clients improve in all of the areas you mention. The extent of the improvement varies, of course, depending on a number of variables including area of injury, age of the client, extent of the injury, and time since injury. Improvements are usually noticed within a few sessions and clients continue in treatment as long as they see continued progress. Treatments, including the initial intake, are covered by extended medical plans that include coverage for registered clinical psychologists. The caps vary widely among plans so you will have to check the limits of your plan. Fees that are not covered by your plan are a tax deductible medical expense. Treatments are usually once per week although when clients come from long distances they usually come less frequently but have several treatments at each visit.
Q - My mother aged 92 years has been doing well intellectually - playing bridge; reading etc. However, in July , she had two bouts of anesthesia - one for hip replacement surgery (spinal) and the next one the same week for hip dislocation. I then noticed a pronounced short term memory loss and loss of balance...maybe due to muscle issues and need for strengthening... yesterday she fell and broke two bones in her arm which necessitated more surgery which is exacerbating her problem. We are booked in for a brain mapping...but if her problems are related to drugs - can she be helped? Regularly she is only on synthroid and diovan (for high blood pressure) medication. Thank you for your time and attention to this.

A - It sounds as though the anesthetic (also true of other medications) has exacerbated an age related decline. As we age our Alpha brainwaves slow down. This slowing is related to cognitive declines commonly associated with aging. The treatment for this is to accelerate the Alpha frequencies and increase the density of the faster Alpha. We see many elderly clients who come in several times a year to treat the age related changes to improve cognitive functioning. Increasing the Alpha frequency has also been found to correlate with good immune functioning as well.
Q - My husband has been suffering from a headache for over a year now. The pain is constant and feels like a pressure. His doctor and subsequently the neurologist prescribed for him several different medications but none brought him any relief. He had a CT scan done in February which was clear. He has tried one session of acupuncture and one session of chiropractic care with no relief. He plans to do 5 more sessions with chiropractic before ruling it out. Through my own research on the internet I have concluded that he may be suffering from NDPH (new daily persistant headache) I am very curious to know if a stressful situation in a person's life could bring something like this on....at the time when it started, his father who was living with us had been sick for about 6 months and died 2 months later. There was also some significant emotional issues surrounding this event as well. He was working crazy hours at the time. Since then things have calmed down significantly but the pain still remains. There is also a possibility that it was brought on by inflammation of some kind - as indicated by his blood work at the time... Our doctor has not been very helpful at all so we are feeling very lost, and need to be pointed in the right direction. I would appreciate hearing about what kind of therapies you use and whether or not you know of someone in the Abbotsford or Langley area that could help us in any way.

A - The closest person who may be able to help is Dr. Ian Hyams in Maple Ridge. Dr. Hyams is a physician who specializes in pain conditions and does neurotherapy in addition to medication. Dr. Hyams number is 604-467-5522. We also treat these conditions and should you wish to come to Vancouver you can call Alisa at 604-608-0444 and she will arrange for an intake brainwave assessment.
Q - I feel that my brain has been fuzzy lately. Sort of like being high without the drugs. Almost like experiencing things in the third person.

A - Make an appointment with your physician. Such symptoms can be associated with a number of physical conditions that your physician should assess.
<< PreviousNext >>