As part of NorCal Brain Center’s efforts to provide the best and most up-to-date treatment options of our patients, we continually seek the latest in medical technology to offer healing therapies. This is why we are delighted to announce that we are now able to add neurofeedback therapy and treatment with qEEG to our suite of therapeutic options.
What is Neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback therapy, a non-pharmaceutical treatment in which patients learn to control their own bodies and bodily processes. In neurofeedback, patients learn to control their brains and nervous systems by training their brains and brain waves.
Your brainwaves are the electrical impulses that are produced when your brain cells communicate with each other. Your brainwaves communicate how you feel, how well your brain and body are functioning and what your levels of stress are. Your brain waves are also the key to understanding your mood and your overall brain function.
Using sensors that are placed on your scalp, your functional neurologist can measure and monitor your brainwaves and track your brain activity. This activity, using special software, can then be used to create a brain map called a QEEG. That map can then help your doctor identify which specific brainwaves and what activity are causing your symptoms.
Once your doctor knows which are the problem areas, they can create a plan that will allow you to train your brain back into a comfortable efficient state using neurofeedback technology.
How does Neurofeedback Work?
Just as you use exercise equipment in a gym to train your muscles, you use neurofeedback technology in a doctor’s office to train your brain. When you engage in a session of qEEG neurofeedback, you’ll be hooked up to a neurofeedback machine via sensitive electrodes attached to head and your scalp. These electrodes act like tiny microphones to record and amplipfy your brainwaves. Those brainwaves will be recorded and translated by the software and then displayed for you on a computer or television screen.
During your session, you will sit in a recliner and either listen to sounds, or play a video game using your brain to direct the action. The type of activity (listening or playing) will be selected for you based on your doctor’s evaluation of what type of activity will be best to address your brain’s underlying needs.
When your brainwaves have settled and reached the state that your doctor has identified as optimal for your health and functioning, you earn points and the game is completed. During this process, nothing is being “put into” your brain, the computer is only listening to your brain’s activity in the same way that a doctor might listen to your heart with a stethoscope. What you see on the screen is just the information being fed back to you (hence the name “neurofeedback”).
What is the Time Commitment for Neurofeedback?
Patients generally need to commit to 1 or 2 sessions of neurofeedback per week, and require a minimum of 10 sessions to see results. Studies show that the results can be very long lasting.
What kinds of conditions might benefit from Neurofeedback therapy?
There are many conditions that have been shown to be helped by neurofeedback therapy. These include:
- ADHD and Attention Deficit Disorder
- Recovery from Brain Injury and Concussion
- Migraine Headaches
- Anxiety and Depression
- Chronic Pain
- Epilepsy
There are no known negative side effects of neurofeedback, and there are many known benefits. We encourage you to come visit us at NorCal Brain center and see what this new technology can do for you as a therapy to treat your neurological condition! Make an appointment today!
