Nonunion, referring to a broken bone which shows no evidence of healing within a specific time frame, is a massive deterrent to rehab and recovery after a complex orthopaedic trauma.  There are several contributing factors to nonunion, such as infection, poor blood supply, the type of fracture (e.g. open fractures) and the energy force […]

When people are recovering from a major trauma or injury, they have the highest nutritional needs of virtually any other time in their adult life.  However, this is often the time when these clients find themselves struggling to prepare healthy food.  Food preparation becomes challenging when someone is fatigued, they have multiple physical difficulties (such […]

  When trying to lose weight, most people are looking for a quick and easy way to achieve this goal.  While the foundation of every weight loss program includes eating fewer calories and doing more physical activity (to burn more calories), sometimes people struggle to lose weight even when they are already doing both of […]

  The fatigue that affects 20-80% of people after a brain injury (often called neuro-fatigue), is different from “ordinary” fatigue because it is often unrelated to levels of exertion and doesn’t improve even when someone rests.1, 2  The persistent nature of post-injury fatigue means it can negatively affect quality of life and pose a barrier […]

  Our article was recently published in the NR Times and is reprinted here with their permission.   After a major trauma or injury, the importance of nutrition is not usually the first thing most health professionals think about.   However, in the absence of adequate nutrition, rehab and recovery will be significantly impaired.  The protein, […]

Memory issues, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping…these are common complaints after a brain injury which are often attributed to the brain injury itself.  However, these identical symptoms can also be associated with reduced oestrogen, progesterone and/or testosterone levels in women, from either naturally-occurring menopause, or changes to the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis following a traumatic brain injury.1, […]

Osseointegrated (or bone-anchored) prosthetic implants, are often considered by clients with an amputation who are struggling with poor socket fit, discomfort, recurrent skin infections, volume fluctuations of the stump and/or pain in the residual limb.1 Nutrition factors frequently determine a client’s eligibility for this procedure and can have a significant impact on the frequency of […]

  When people lose their sense of smell, whether it’s from a brain injury, COVID-19 or another cause, there are several safety precautions which need to be put in place to keep that person safe.  Smoke and natural gas in particular, often rely on a functioning sense of smell to alert someone that there is […]

  After a major trauma or injury, many clients ask us whether they need to be taking protein powders as part of the rehabilitation process. There are two main types of protein powders: “Diet” or “lean” protein powders – these are a concentrated form of protein, because they strip out the fat, carbohydrate, vitamins and […]

Clients with a brain injury or spinal cord injury are often taking multiple medications which are usually prescribed long-term.  Certain medications can have a negative impact on someone’s nutritional status and conversely, sometimes certain foods/nutrients can affect a medication’s effectiveness.  Many clients are already nutritionally compromised after a major trauma or injury (due to metabolic […]