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Last December, I started to get some more concussion symptoms. As I always share everything on Instagram, Gijs (located in Amsterdam who is a P-DTR advanced practitioner) reached out to me and said he could help me with those symptoms.
At first, I was a bit sceptical because almost every day people reach out to me about helping me, so I didn’t pay that much attention to it. Then, one day, I felt so overwhelmed because of all the things I needed to arrange for my move to Bali that I crashed.
Call me crazy, but I asked the “universe” for help. A few hours after that, he reached out to me again and told me that he could arrange an appointment the next day.
That next day, I already had another appointment in Amsterdam, and this was a few hours before that one, so I thought, let’s give it a try. I had nothing to lose.
So, I went there without any expectations. And it completely blew my mind…
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Table of contents
What is PDTR Therapy?
PDTR means proprioceptive - Deep Tendon Reflex and was founded by the orthopedic surgeon, Dr. José Palomar.
This is the first neurological manual therapy based on neurology, neurophysiology, biomechanics and basics of Applied Kinesiology.
It doesn’t only treat head trauma but a wide spectrum of functional problems and solves hormonal, chemical, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal and emotional dysfunctions as well.
It recognizes that input from sensory receptors and the way the brain processes the information from these receptors is needed to determine neuromuscular responses throughout the full body. If feedback from proprioceptors is aberrant, then motor control is “damaged.”
Is this treatment painful? No, not at all! PDTR therapy is a very gentle and a painless method. No chiropractor cracking methods, which can be too much for someone with a concussion.
Interested in learning more? I suggest watching this video or reading more information on this page about this treatment: https://www.pdtrusa.com/
Or read more on this page: https://pdtr-global.com/about-pdtr/
Watch the (1 hour) video below where Gijs explains more about PDTR (Proprioceptive - Deep Tendon Reflex) and head trauma and where I share my experience. Scroll down to read the full text/to hear more about my experience.
The PDTR therapy itself - My experience
So, there I went on my way to this treatment. To be honest, I didn’t feel great that day, I felt restless and had a pressure on my chest, which I’d already had for weeks.
Gijs (the PDTR practitioner) surprised me with his knowledge. I learned new things I didn’t knew before. He told me he found me on Instagram after a girl (who had a concussion too) went to him and mentioned The Concussion Community. This girl is now able to work and have a social life again. Just after 2 PDTR treatments.
After hearing about that, I got excited, mostly because I went all the way twice to America for treatment, and this was almost around my corner (in Amsterdam).
Watch the video (25 min) below to hear about my experience. Prefer to read? Then scroll down.
It's not just me, look at those 3 people who went to Gijs after reading this blog
They are in Dutch but I translated them (see text below photos). So happy for them!!
"Thank you very much for yesterday, it was very nice to meet you and I thought it was a really bizarre experience. I can hardly believe how good I feel. Normally I'm already in bed at 19:00 because I'm exhausted and now after I got home I cleaned up the whole house and then went for an evening walk. I feel much more grounded and feel much more connected to the world around me. I experience so much peace in my body. And I am no longer in pain. I haven't had this feeling in 2 years! Incredible all."
"Hi Gijs! I have indeed had completely different dreams than usual. But I slept very well, feel rested. I feel a lot of change in my body: my right side is more palpable, it feels like I'm moving more in balance, although it still feels weird and I slept stretched out for the first time in my memory! I usually sleep curled up and stretched out feels vulnerable, but tonight that feeling was gone. Very special! Thank you"
"Thank you! I'm so excited. For the first time that I get up and look forward to the day. Great feeling! I will definitely follow your advice. Have a nice day!"
Before we started the PDTR treatment…
I had to fill in an intake form (5 pages in-depth intake form) with not only questions about my concussion but about everything that happened in my life.
First, Gijs explained everything about how PDTR therapy works and how it can remove trauma from the body. As I sustained a whiplash, I had a neck trauma and was very curious about what this would do to my neck pain. I remember I listened to everything he explained but because I already felt overwhelmed, I didn’t “hear” everything.
Then we started the treatment
He did various tests like standing in a specific way and making some movements, and many more. Based on all that information, he knew what was wrong and needed treatment.
After the standing part, I had to lay down. After touching my feet, he noticed right away that my whole body was tight, and I had a lot of tension in my muscles.
Then he touched different body parts and each time, I had to lift my knee and while touching that part, I had to give pressure with that knee. Most of the time, this was not a problem, but sometimes, after touching a specific part of my body, I couldn’t give any pressure.
At first, I thought it was just him who gave more pressure; sometimes, it felt like something was wrong. I don’t know why I thought that, maybe I couldn’t believe it’s true. But when he removed his hand, I noticed it was true.
The parts of my body I couldn’t give pressure with my knee were (as far as I remember): my right neck, my left knee, my left ankle, my left cheekbone, my tailbone and my head in general.
This is how he treated the affected parts of my body
Once he noticed I couldn’t give pressure with my knee while testing a body part, he started treatment.
These were very gentle touches, rubbing, puncturing, tapping but nothing that hurt. While I lay down, I thought, how I can this help, but I just trusted what he was doing.
He also treated my light and sound sensitivity
After checking my body first, he also tested if my sound, light and smell sensitivity was off. The light and sound yes, smell no.
He tested it by snapping his fingers next to my ears (on both sides), and I had to give pressure with my leg again, I couldn’t. The light sensitivity was tested by shining with a light in my eyes, and I couldn’t give any pressure again.
After he treated this, I immediately felt a difference in the sound sensitivity but not yet in the light one; however, I trusted I would notice that in the coming days.
Once he treated everything that he could think of, he felt my feet again, and they were relaxed, I could feel this too! It was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I didn’t feel I was in fight-flight, and I didn’t even know how that felt after being that restless for about 5 years. That restless feeling became my new normal. But now I felt different!
How did I feel a few days to a week after this PDTR treatment?
Right after the treatment, I had another treatment at my dentist, and I noticed a difference in the waiting room. The music didn’t bother me that much. But I still couldn’t believe it, and I thought maybe it was just temporary. as most treatments in the past were.
After the dentist appointment, I had to take the train to my parents (2-hour ride), and I felt calmer being surrounded my many people. This was different than normally!
The next few days, I took some rest at my parents’ place and then took the train back to my home. This time, I felt a huge difference! I didn’t have to wear my headphones, I felt so calm being in the train. I noticed so many things, which I normally don’t notice (as I am in my bubble of surviving the crowd).
At home, I felt I just had more energy and went for a run; this was so much easier than I ever felt! Mostly because my body had finally started to relax, so my muscles weren’t that tight anymore.
I don’t have clenching jaws and fatigue anymore!
One of the things I noticed when I started working again behind my laptop was my clenching jaws were gone. I got so used to them and every time I started working or needed to concentrate, I would clench my jaws. But this time I didn’t, I even felt relaxed.
Besides that, my head felt so clear, the clearest so far after my accident, which happened in 2017. My fatigue was totally gone! Sometimes, I still feel like there are bubbles in my brain opening up everything, which feels great!
1 week after the PDTR therapy - I got anxiety/panic attacks
Then things changed, and I reacted heavily to this treatment (or I was already at a breaking point, as I experienced more anxiety in the last year and this was the last push, I don’t know…). My clenching jaws were still gone, same for the sound/light sensitivity, and I still felt my muscles were able to relax.
But then I started to get dizzy and ringing ears, this was one week after the treatment. So dizzy that I couldn’t leave the couch or my bed. At first, I thought it was my balance organ, so I went to the doctor and had several tests, but this wasn’t the case. He told me to rest.
So that’s what I did.
But then it happened, I started to get that dizzy and nauseous that I had to throw up, and after that, I got an anxiety/panic attack. I’d never had that before, so it completely overwhelmed me, I didn’t know what was going on with me. My whole body started shaking, and I lost all control.
I couldn’t calm myself down anymore
I had some Oxazepam, which helped a bit. But for the full week, I felt completely panicked, not able to calm myself down. ALL THE TIME.
After 5 days, my parents picked me up (I live with my boyfriend), and I stayed with them as my boyfriend had to work and I just didn't want to be alone. Then, the next day, I went to a doctor who prescribed me Bromazepam, which works better against anxiety than Oxazepam. I’d never taken any medicines before, but this time, it felt like I had no choice.
Again I am not 100% sure this is a reaction of the treatment as I already had anxiety symptoms before the PDTR therapy. So, I don’t want to dive deeper into this here in this blog.
I went back to Gijs 1 day before I needed to fly to Bali
So many things were going on at the same time, this treatment, my preparation to move to Bali, work, saying goodbye to friends and family, moving out of our home in The Netherlands, and much more.
Gijs checked everything during this check-up, and everything was still perfectly fine. Some people need three treatments, and some people need one. I needed one, and I think that’s why I reacted this heavily, which I still don’t see as a bad thing.
Why I don’t see this as a negative thing
I am very positive about this PDTR treatment as I got rid of several concussion symptoms that had affected my life on a daily basis for more than 5 years. Right now, I can sit at a restaurant and multitask again. I can follow a conversation, talk, the background noise and the music no longer bother me. I can drive my scooter here in Bali and not everything is passing by anymore, and my jaws are always relaxed! What a difference!
Don't increase your activities too fast
When you sustained a concussion/head trauma it is very important to calmly increase all your activities, because if you do too much, you can have a setback very quickly because you do not yet have the resources to deal with it. So everyone who will do this treatment, take it easy when you feel much better after the treatment.
How I feel right now, 3 months after PDTR therapy
Right now, while I am writing this, it’s been 3 months since the PDTR treatment and a lot has changed. I moved to Bali, and adjusted to a new life, climate, culture, and rhythm. It was a lot at the same time.
But I feel calmer and calmer. I no longer get a panic/anxiety attack since I’ve been in Bali (2.5 months now), and I am phasing out the medicines. I am sure within a few weeks, I can totally stop using them. Well that's the plan ;).
I still notice the positive effects of the treatment, even after 3 months: less to no noise and light sensitivity, no clenching jaws, no tight muscles, screentime isn’t bothering me that much as before, my work is easier, I don’t stress that much about things anymore, my fatigue is gone, my head feels clear, my neck pain is much better, and my sleep is better.
It’s like I am discovering a new thing every week that has improved.
Sometimes, I am in a new situation and just notice “he, this isn’t bothering me as it always did!”
I’m so happy I went there, and even if I knew before I would react like this, I would still go as it feels like I am just recovering from a change my body made. Which was huge after having all those concussion symptoms for more than 5 years.
I think my body just thought: What is happening?! We don’t know this feeling! But I am getting used to my new me.
Does that mean I am 100% healed?
No, but I am one step closer towards the 100%, which I am sure will reach one day. Thank you, Gijs, for everything and not giving up to invite me for this treatment.
What else helped me in my recovery?
Everything changed after starting with interval training and cognitive exercises.
I realized so many others on this journey are struggling with the same thing. And I don't want that to happen!
However, simply engaging in 'some' cardio exercises or doing ‘some’ puzzles won't bring about a massive change.
More is simply needed if you truly want to overcome your symptoms.
That's why I invested $10k in a comprehensive treatment that brought significant results.
As a result, I launched this 3-month program to guide you through intervals and cognitive exercises in the most beneficial way to reduce your concussion symptoms.
This way, you won't need to spend $10k as I did.
Click here to learn more about the 3-month program and how it has helped over 500 other concussion survivors.
I hope this blog about the P-DTR treatment or my courses will help you to move forward in your recovery.
Any questions? Feel free to reach out!
Love,
Silvie PS: Interested in doing this P-DTR treatment with Gijs (in Amsterdam)? Or have any questions? Feel free to reach out to him on Instagram (@g_holthof) or send him an email at: ghpt@hotmail.com
PS: I am not an affiliate, Gijs invited me to try this treatment. I decided to write a blog post as it helped me that much, and I just want to spread awareness about this treatment so hopefully, it can help others in their recovery too.
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