Articles written by our own Neurofeedback Clinician, Gretchen Morse:
Our Blog at CoSozo Living Magazine!
"Is it all in your head? Addressing Chronic Conditions Through Neurofeedback" (scroll down to bottom of page)
"Training for Your Brain" (Healing Garden Journal)
For More Information on Neurofeedback:
JOHN LENNON & YOKO ONO demonstrating Neuro/Biofeedback on the Mike Douglas Show!
Your Brain and Neurofeedback: A Beginner's Manual - by Dana McDougall, PhD
fMRI Evidence Supports Neurofeedback as a Treatment for ADHD
Biofeedback Technique Eases Musicians' Anxiety
Music of the Hemispheres - Fascinating article about how music activates the brain
Wall Street Journal Article on Neuofeedback for Athletes
Neurofeedback for Anxiety and Panic Attacks
ABC New Article on Migraines and Neurofeedback - treating without painkillers
Sleep Disorders and Neurofeedback
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Is it all in your head?
Addressing Chronic Conditions through Neurofeedback - by Gretchen L. Morse
Many of us cope with chronic physical, emotional or cognitive conditions that can severely limit our engagement in life. We spend our lives compensating and adjusting, and searching for answers and ease. It’s not uncommon during this process to hear from a practitioner or acquaintance, “It’s all in your head!” or “Mind over matter!” Not so helpful to the psyche or spirit of the afflicted. Unless, we look at this from another angle; what if it IS all in your head?
An over-aroused brain may lead to symptoms such as anxiety, fear, racing thoughts, sleeplessness, etc. An under-aroused brain may contribute to issues of focus, concentration, depression, fatigue, etc. Additionally, life experiences, physical and emotional injury, and messages about ourselves and our illness can add to our dysfunction. We can become “locked” in these patterns and it becomes very difficult to change our emotional or physical response. Healing and growth come to a stand-still. What if you could teach your brain to respond differently to your symptoms?
“Teach my brain?” you say? Yes. We can “teach” ourselves to regulate things in the body that we normally don’t think about, like heart rate, skin temperature, and breathing. Often, technology is used to give feedback about these processes, so that an individual can learn techniques for modulating them. This is called “Biofeedback”. Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback that teaches you to modulate your brain.
Neurofeedback uses computers and EEG equipment to provide feedback to a person about their brainwave states. Special sensors are attached to a person’s scalp to record the brainwave activity. The computer then provides various forms of feedback (sound, visual, tactile, etc.) which can help a person to learn and experience more effective states, based on what is already happening within their brains. Some people turn to Neurofeedback for relief of symptoms, and others use it to attain awareness of and enhance peak states for performance, creativity and meditation. It is non-medicinal, non-invasive, and has even been very effective on cats, dogs, and horses.
A recent client, Sheila, turned to Neurofeedback for debilitating head pain, fatigue, and mood issues that kept her in bed for 23 out of 24 hours of each day. Sheila has not had any head pain since her second session, and is now up for 12 hours of each day. Her mood and energy are increasing, as well.
This is not to imply in any way that Neurofeedback can cure illness. It is not in any way a substitute for appropriate medical attention. However, by addressing deeply-held issues of pain, mood, energy, sleep, attention and focus through re-training the nervous system’s response, interventions such as Physical Therapy, talk therapy, and numerous other modalities can then soar, as clients are not so bound from within. They tend to gain insight and flexibility, and become less reactive to their environments. They can get out of their heads, and into their life.