Wouldn’t it be amazing if the whole world knew about neurofeedback? And don’t worry…we won’t judge you if this is the first time you’re hearing about it. As someone who has never heard of neurofeedback before, it can be a bit difficult to fully understand what this complex treatment entails so we will do our absolute best to explain it!
What exactly is Neurofeedback treatment?
The best way to describe Neurofeedback treatment is by calling it what it is…brain training! Just like physical therapy for the body, this is physical therapy for the brain. The malleable brain is capable of changing at any age which is why neurofeedback plays an integral part in teaching the brain how to begin its self-healing process.
To begin the process, initial evaluations are made so that the practitioner can determine an individualized protocol for your brain. During the first neurofeedback session itself, you can expect to sit in a comfortable chair where the practitioner will apply sensors to various areas on your scalp with a conductor paste. To clarify: nothing is inserted into your body or head. Once settled, you watch a spaceship fly through a tunnel with music in the background and a teddy bear that buzzes on your lap. These auditory, visual, and physical sensations you experience indicate to your brain if it’s in an optimum state and then that feedback nudges the brain to get to a more regulated state.
An additional option is to watch a movie or video during a session. If the screen displaying the movie becomes smaller, this means the brain isn’t in its optimum state and the brain does the work to increase the size of the movie screen. All of this feedback can cause your brain to self-regulate to a more optimal level on its own! The clinician is guiding the entire process on their end. Think of it as operant conditioning.
How do we analyze brain waves?
Neurofeedback treatment utilizes a machine called an electroencephalogram (EEG) that detects abnormalities in your brain wave activity. By looking at the EEG display, we are able to tell if the brain is underactive or overactive. This informs our course of action by seeing which waves must be reduced and which ones must be increased.
Research demonstrates that there are seven different brain waves associated with individual functions:
- Delta waves→ deep sleep and internalized consciousness
- Theta waves→ internal locus, deep thoughts
- Alpha waves→ internal locus, deep thought, too much means spacy
- SMR waves→ related to readiness for action and attentive listening
- Beta waves→ the “go” brainwave associated with focus and attention
- High Beta waves→ excited
- Gamma waves→ “aha” moments; promotes brain communication
Isn’t it fascinating that we are able to detect a person’s cognitive and emotional state just by analyzing their brain waves?
What conditions does neurofeedback help with?
At Healthy Within, we work with those who have ADHD, Depression, Insomnia, Anxiety, Tics, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Fibromyalgia, PTSD, and more. When brain wave activity improves through neurofeedback, so does behavior, attention, mood, emotional regulation, ability to maintain calm, sleep, and cognition.
For this reason, many athletes and performing artists reach out to us as well. Neurofeedback brain-training helps them reach peak performance because of improvements in their creativity and problem-solving skills, performance anxiety, self-confidence, and concentration. Even the average person who may not be suffering from a specific brain health condition can seek out neurofeedback treatment to enhance their everyday functioning. After all, we believe neurofeedback is a lifestyle change that everyone can be implemented in their lives!
Why should I try Neurofeedback?
If you are an individual who is experiencing struggles with depression, anxiety, racing thoughts, obsessive/compulsive behaviors, impulse control, poor attention/concentration, or sleep, the primary solutions given are usually medications, drugs, or therapy. The issue with medication is that your brain goes back to its original state when you stop taking it. On top of that, you may even need to increase dosage or add another medication because your symptoms are going unresolved or you are experiencing severe side effects. Neurofeedback treatment on the other hand teaches your brain not only to experience change, but also maintain it after treatment is completed. The brain is neuroplastic and is able to continue to improve its own performance even after neurofeedback is completed since we have guided it to get better and it wants to keep improving.
When comparing neurofeedback to other treatment options, the benefits of brain training outweigh the risks. It is understandable that people will fear a treatment that affects their brain. However, it is important to note that neurofeedback is low risk and noninvasive. It can be typical to see some fatigue, maybe a slight headache, which is rare. These temporary reactions have not been reported as serious and typically last 24-48 hours. As you become more relaxed and know what to expect, these reactions to treatment will diminish over time. Since the brain muscle is becoming more fitter, it will not feel as fatigued.
At Healthy Within, we are committed to supporting the emotional health of our community. Healthy Within is an integrative brain health center, experienced in helping people re-engage in their wholeness and wellness. We help clients with anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, depression, concussions, OCD, stroke, dementia, and more with neurofeedback.
Contact us for more information about how we can help you get your mind back to functioning at its calm, confident self.
