Why Dr. John Jung’s Book on Brain Injury Could Be the Wake-Up Call We All Need
In a medical landscape flooded with memoirs, fad diets, and superficial health guides, Dr. John W. Jung’s Alternative Treatments to TBI: What Should You Do for Brain Injury Recovery Immediately? stands out for one simple reason: it’s urgent, unflinching, and rooted in both lived experience and hard science.
Dr. Jung didn’t write this book from the safety of an ivory tower or with the detached eye of a clinical observer. He wrote it after surviving a traumatic brain injury (TBI) himself, one that changed the course of his life. A car slammed into his vehicle, leaving him with a severe concussion, a heart attack, and multiple fractures. As a chiropractor and educator deeply embedded in the medical world, he expected answers. What he got was a system shrugging its shoulders.
“I had three hours of tests in the ER,” Jung says, “and then they told me to go home and rest. That’s the standard protocol: do nothing. But that advice is backed by no science.”
That moment marked the beginning of a deeper investigation; not only into his own recovery but into the broader failure of conventional medicine to provide effective post-TBI care. Jung saw firsthand that most medical systems are equipped to diagnose, but not to heal. While the brain is the control center for everything in the body; movement, emotion, memory, and even digestion; the treatment for traumatic injury often amounts to a vague recommendation to “take it easy.”
Alternative Treatments to TBI is Jung’s response to that failure. Backed by extensive research from peer-reviewed sources like PubMed and the National Institutes of Health, the book lays out what current protocols overlook and what patients can do immediately to take their recovery into their own hands.
The book is structured in two parts. The first is written for clinicians, packed with data on brain chemistry, biomarkers, and assessment strategies that go beyond the standard MRI or CT scan. It includes cutting-edge information on cytokines, inflammation markers like tau protein, and even gut-brain axis interactions that are commonly ignored in traditional neurology.
The second half is designed for patients, caregivers, and families. It offers actionable steps that can be taken from day one after injury; things like diet recommendations, sensory stimulation techniques, home neurology exercises, and key questions to ask your doctor. Jung doesn’t suggest replacing medical care but he demands it to be better, smarter, and more comprehensive.
“What about the other 23 hours a day after you leave the hospital?” he asks. “That’s when the real work happens. That’s when the brain either starts healing or starts declining.”
This approach isn’t theoretical. It’s drawn from years of practice, teaching, and recovery and validated by collaboration with Dr. Adam Davis, a neurologist with more credentials than most professors. Together, they’re pushing for an approach that’s both multidisciplinary and deeply practical.
What makes this book especially timely is its intersection with recent global events. Jung highlights the cognitive fallout from long COVID and draws parallels between viral inflammation and post-concussion syndromes. The overlap isn’t just interesting; it’s critical. “The same cytokines that flare up in a TBI are also present in long COVID cases,” Jung explains. “That means many people walking around today with brain fog or emotional shifts may not even realize their brain is inflamed.”
And it’s not just car accidents or viruses. Sports injuries, childhood falls, and even minor concussions can compound over time. Research shows that untreated TBIs increase the risk of Parkinson’s by 57% and dementia by 72%. “The brain remembers every hit,” Jung says. “And it adds up.”
He’s not shy about where the blame lies, either. “We don’t have a healthcare system. We have a disease management system,” he says. “It’s built to react, not prevent. That’s why Big Pharma is selling solutions for symptoms, not root causes.”
Jung’s book is, at its core, a rebellion against that model. It’s part scientific guide, part manifesto, and part field manual for people who’ve been told there’s nothing they can do. The message? You can do plenty and you should start now.
For caregivers, the book is a lifeline. It provides tools for identifying what part of the brain is affected and how to stimulate recovery based on lateralization (right vs. left brain) using simple at-home methods like smelling specific scents through one nostril or using vibration on targeted nerve pathways.
Jung is also clear about what doesn’t work: grains, processed foods, and outdated advice based on pharmaceutical lobbying rather than evidence. He encourages a high-fat, anti-inflammatory diet, supports cholesterol intake for brain repair, and even includes a list of herbs and supplements that have shown promise in supporting neurological health.
This isn’t about selling fear. It’s about giving people what Jung never got in his own moment of crisis: real guidance.
So what’s next for Dr. Jung? He’s taking the message on the road. With plans for lectures, possible TED Talks, and more speaking engagements, he wants this knowledge in the hands of not just professionals but parents, coaches, teachers, and anyone responsible for a brain which is, of course, everyone.
“This book is for anybody with a brain,” Jung says. “That’s the title I almost went with. If you’ve got a brain, you need to know how to protect it.”
He’s not wrong. And in a time where attention is scarce and misinformation is everywhere, Alternative Treatments to TBI don’t just deserve a spot on your shelf; it demands your full attention.
