The simple answer is that neurofeedback is an energy medicine and a type of biofeedback that deals with the study of brainwaves and how it relates to our mental health.
Early on biofeedback demonstrated that one could regulate their own heart rate, breathing, sweat production, blood pressure and irritable bowels. It was the broader discipline that used a medical device to stimulate the central nervous system throughout the body to assist relaxation and create greater awareness. Neurofeedback just took these same principles and applied them to the brain. Creating a brainwave science for the treatment of the most common mental health issues.
Neurofeedback or neurotherapy is an EEG (electroencephalogram) biofeedback which centers on the brainwaves that control our behaviors. When done correctly it can greatly help many neurological conditions and is widely gaining popularity.
There are many kinds of neurotherapy but two categories. One is more learning based which leads the brain to adapt through the use of lights, sounds and monitors. The goal is to stimulate the brain enough that it must learn a different vibration. These kinds of treatments are more “training” in their approach. So they require patient participation from viewing, hearing or solving something on a screen. This variety of neurotherapy is the most traditional and usually takes more treatments to gain the desired effects.
The other kind of neurotherapy is a more disruptive based technology. So rather than training the brain, this system “disentrains” it by rebooting the poor brainwave states that are stuck in improper vibrations. It came about almost by accident. It was discovered in 1990 by Len Ochs,Ph.D. a clinical psychologist trained in biofeedback. It follows the brainwaves and mimics frequency ranges to make corrective changes using a subliminal radio wave frequency and high tech data maps for quicker results. This newer type changed the way neurofeedback had been done before because it gets faster results with less equipment. It also worked better on children with no patient participation necessary. This is referred to as LENS ( Low Energy Neurofeedback System). It is the most sought after and most imitated today because of how effective it is for so many conditions.
Since the 1950’s up until today the use of therapeutic brain stimulation or neurofeedback has been successful as the alternative method for drugs for treating many common brain disorders such as Anxiety, ADD, Depression, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Autism, Epilepsy, Headaches, TBI or Concussion, Migraines, Trauma, Anger, Rage and Mood Disorders.
Although being around for 70 years, neurofeedback hasn’t had the wide spread acclaim it should have being it is so clinically driven and complimentary to so many other western medical disciplines and therapies. Many practitioners feel that it may threaten the establishment western allopathic medical community because it involves more of an Eastern viewpoint of proactive in nature and sees the limitations of drugs.
Neurotherapy today is what chiropractic and acupuncture care was 25 years ago. It is the best kept secret in the mental health business for decades now. Many doctors are now advocating for and recommending it to clients. Having seen first hand the benefits in ADD/ADHD , anxiety, depression , PTSD and traumatic brain injuries. There is a trend in more energy based medicines and leading the way is neurofeedback therapy.
JSH, founder of NeuroBalance