In a day and age when the advancements in medical technology are providing breakthroughs in healthcare, it may seem odd to many that an increasing number of people are seeking out alternative modalities to address their health issues. But one reason for this is that many of these advancements are dependent upon prescription medications, which have proven to be riddled with negative side effects and have even caused death, and were subsequently pulled from the market. For those who are unwilling to be human guinea pigs for the pharmaceutical companies, alternative treatments, such as neurofeedback therapy, are a viable option.

This type of therapy is a complementary approach and can be combined with other types of treatment, including medication. Often patients are able to successfully reduce the amount of medication they need to take, and in time, a certain percentage can even improve their condition to the point that they no longer need medications but can control their condition through an ongoing biofeedback program.

Many individuals notice results in as few as 8-10 sessions, and typically, after 20-25 sessions with biofeedback therapists, they have developed the ability to practice biofeedback techniques without the need of biofeedback machines.

Neurofeedback therapy is a particular kind of biofeedback treatment that involves using electrodes. The electrodes are attached to a patient’s forehead in order to record and amplify the brainwave signals being produced. These signals are fed into a biofeedback device that produces a visual display of the person’s brainwave patterns, which the patient and biofeedback practitioner can review together.

Through multiple sessions of therapy the patient learns, with the help of the biofeedback therapists, how to make changes to their own brainwave activity. As brainwave activity undergoes changes, the resulting physiological changes can also be observed and measured, providing the patient with a clearer understanding of the mind-body connection and their own potential and power to control even the subtle systems of their body.

Neurofeedback therapy has been shown to be a very effective way to address many different symptoms, such as those related to anxiety, attention span, depression, anger management, sleep-loss, stress, attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity. The emphasis of most biofeedback therapists is on reducing the patient’s symptoms and increasing their long-term personal success.

This process can be very empowering and often gives people the feeling, for the first time ever, that they are in charge of their own health and bodily functions to a degree that they were not aware was possible, before participating in biofeedback training.

It has been found that patients should be selected for participation in neurofeedback training based on their motivation and their commitment. A biofeedback treatment is not a procedure that is “done to” or “for” a patient, as is common with most mainstream medical methods, but it requires the patient to be actively involved in the process. They must truly learn to train themselves to control their physiological responses by becoming aware of and taking charge of their brainwave activity.

During the course of a neurofeedback therapy program, a patient will learn to control their brainwave activity as they watch the activity displayed on the biofeedback device, and then learn to exert mental control techniques to make changes in that activity. By practicing concentration and visualization methods over time, the person is able to learn how to apply the correct technique and cause the desired changes on their own, without assistance from the biofeedback equipment.

By: Mike Selvon

Even though there have been many wonderful advancements in Western medicine, many people are alarmed at rising health care costs. In addition, increasing reports of serious complications with prescription medication has alarmed many who had previously thought that FDA approved drugs must be safe. As a result of these concerns, there is a strong and growing movement toward alternative forms of healthcare and biofeedback is one of the modalities that is getting a lot of attention.

Biofeedback, which is also sometimes referred to as neurofeedback, has proven to be an effective therapy for a number of different conditions, but it is most often used to treat headaches, migraines and chronic pain conditions. A biofeedback treatment provides the patient with information from the body about how it is operating and reacting to different conditions. With this type of feedback, the person can better understand their body’s reactions and take steps to change.

Over the course of many years, biofeedback therapy has proven to be remarkably safe. It is often used in conjunction with various relaxation techniques and as a result, biofeedback can also be very effective at combating stress, which in turn can help to reduce the risk of many illnesses and conditions.

In addition to treating pain, biofeedback therapists are also able to address many other health conditions with varying degrees of success. Some of the other common conditions that have been effectively treated though neurofeedback treatments are epilepsy, attention deficit disorder (ADD), hyperactivity and incontinence. In addition, this non-invasive treatment is often very helpful in rehabilitation after stroke or injury and can even help people to break the bonds of addictive behaviors, such as drug addiction and alcoholism.

Biofeedback therapy is a technique that uses mechanical feedback to teach people how to relax, even in stressful situations. Over time, many people are able to train themselves to control blood pressure, breathing, muscle tension and other bodily functions, through the use of painless electrodes that give on-the-spot feedback through graphs, beeps and flashing lights.

During a neurotherapy session, a biofeedback machine is used that monitors the patient’s brain wave activity and displays the readings on a screen. With the help of a trained technician, the person can learn what relaxation techniques produce the desired responses and can observe these responses through the readout on the machine. With time and practice, a person can eventually learn how to achieve the desired changes, even without the use of the device to provide the feedback.

As a patient becomes more aware of their body and its responses to the biofeedback techniques, they become more sensitive to the internal signals their body is providing. This increased awareness and sensitivity, combined with practice, is what allows a person to gain the same benefits of neurofeedback therapy, even when the neurofeedback equipment is not available to confirm the changes within the body.

Even though it may seem so to some people, biofeedback is not “magic.” This kind of neurotherapy cannot cure diseases in and of itself or “make a person healthy.” But, it can help people improve their lives and take more control over their bodily functions and this can lead to better health, eventual reversal of many ailments, and the overall better functioning of their entire system.

By: Mike Selvon