Neuro Therapy for Your Brain
Dec 28, 2023
Neuro Therapy for Your Brain
The ability of the human brain to adapt and change from babyhood to adulthood is amazing but sometimes it needs a little help. Infants are born with all the neurons they need for their lifetime, and by age five, 90% of their brain is developed. After age five, the neurons continue making connections for increased efficiency. Life events, positive or negative, have a large impact on how the brain develops. Those with past traumatic experiences often seek out therapy to help manage their mental health.
One lesser-known therapy, neurofeedback has been used with some success to help people learn to control their brain functions. Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback that has been around for decades. It involves a machine that measures and records brain waves, then provides positive or negative feedback. This information helps the person subconsciously learn what brain stimuli is preferred and encourages positive thought processes. Over time, this helps the person have more desirable brain patterns.
During a session, subjects generally sit comfortably in a chair with electrode sensors resting on their head. These sensors are used to record an electroencephalogram (EEG) during the session. Subjects may experience sounds, images, or both at the same time during sessions. This helps the brain learn which brainwave patterns are helpful over those that aren't. Repeated sessions help reinforce this newly developing neuronal pattern.
Neurofeedback has been controversial since its inception, but the results are promising for several conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD can occur after someone has witnessed a terrifying and/or life-threatening event. Often this can be very difficult to recover from. Research has found neurofeedback may be a good therapy alternative to more direct techniques which can require frequent exposure to the traumatizing event. Additionally, neurofeedback may be helpful with ADD/ADHD, schizophrenia, insomnia, learning disabilities, drug addiction, epilepsy, anxiety, depression, pain management, and more.
Neurofeedback can be considered expensive and time-consuming as several sessions are required before results are typical, and this form of therapy isn't always covered by insurance. Additionally, there are several different variations of neurofeedback, so certain kinds may work better than others for some individuals. Ask your doctor or holistic health professional what type may be best if you are considering giving it a try.
