CENTENNIAL, Colo. (KDVR) — After a series of questions about concussion protocols in the NFL, local doctors say now is a good time to talk about recognizing a concussion and treating it.

Dr. Jeff McWhorter specializes in concussion rehabilitation at McWhorter Chiropractic and Neurological Rehabilitation in Centennial.  He says there are some effective high-tech treatments available.

He makes an individualized plan to help restore function.

“I tell patients to think of my office like a gym for your brain, where I’m working out the weak points to get them back to being as strong as they should be, as they were prior to your head injury,” McWhorter said.

McWhorter uses a machine called the GyroStim. It almost looks like a carnival ride. A patient straps into a cage that spins. While it rotates, the patient uses a laser to hit targets. He says it can help with balance, gait, motor function and an awareness of where a person is in space.

His patients can also use hyperbaric chambers. He says hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps patients with all kinds of injuries to heal.

“After an hour of being in one of our hyperbaric chambers, patients should expect to be at 99 or 100% saturation in every cell in the brain and the body, and that helps us accelerate the rate of recovery for a lot of head injuries,” he said.  

McWhorter also believes in the benefits of Dyna Vision, which the website says is a light-training device that focuses on reaction to visual stimuli to improve sensory-motor skills.

Plus, neurofeedback therapy is an option he says can help with mental health conditions and injuries that occur from concussions.

“What neurofeedback allows us to do, is help retrain or correct abnormalities in brainwave activity,” he said.

For more information, visit their website or call 720-897-5438.