Answering The 5 Most Asked Questions About Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback therapy is rapidly gaining popularity thanks to its healing capabilities when it comes to numerous mental health and other brain-related conditions and disorders. Our brain activity, and more specifically brain waves, hold the key to treating anything from ADHD symptoms to migraines, anxiety disorders, and so much more.

Good brain function and self-regulation are important factors when it comes to mental health, and cannott be achieved solely through medical intervention and behavioral therapy. For that reason, Beaverton Neurofeedback is so passionate about helping people discover just how much neurofeedback therapy can do for them!

The first step in this learning journey is finding out some answers to the most frequently asked questions about neurofeedback training. 

How Does Neurofeedback Work?

Your brain can be trained with neurofeedback, and it naturally learns to perform more effectively as a result. Real-time monitoring of your brain activity takes place during neurofeedback, and you are rewarded by software when your brain waves shift to more useful patterns. 

Your brain automatically adjusts to better function over time. This is crucial because the brain may train itself to work more efficiently over time without the use of medicines or supplements. Basically, your brain learns how to heal itself or how to reduce unwanted symptoms, aiding in ensuring a better quality of life.

In short, electrical brain activity is monitored and used as a gateway into understanding what triggers certain changes and how they can be either suppressed or encouraged, depending on their nature.

How Does A Neurofeedback Session Look Like?

You simply sit on a chair throughout a neurofeedback treatment session while having electrode sensors placed on your scalp. These sensors don't provide any impulses to your brain; instead, they just read the electrical signals that your brain generates and send them to a computer.

You can be instructed to watch visuals on a display, listen to a song or engage in another activity depending on your treatment strategy. 

As your brain reacts to the visuals and/or sound you are exposed to during neurofeedback, you may actually observe a visual display of the flow of your brainwave oscillations in real time. When your brain generates beneficial brainwave patterns, as when you're watching a film for instance, the screen will go brighter, and you'll hear particular musical tones. The screen dims when it causes less harmonic brainwave patterns.

Your brain is given immediate feedback, which aids it in learning subconsciously how to increase the screen's brightness. Your brain gradually learns how to create and maintain the beneficial brainwave patterns and encourage better attitudes and actions.

What Can Neurofeedback Treat?

More and more research shows how neurofeedback can be used to successfully manage a variety of conditions. Neurofeedback was designated as an evidence-based intervention for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) by the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Autism, learning disabilities, and other developmental issues are also being treated with the use of neurofeedback therapy. It has been proven to be helpful in stabilizing some persons with epilepsy and has been used successfully to treat anxiety, depressive symptoms, addiction problems, sleep disorders, and other mental health disorders. 

There is evidence to suggest that neurofeedback helps speed up concussion recovery and may benefit reactive, damaged brain regions. Surprisingly, neurofeedback training has also been utilized to improve performance in corporate leaders and athletes.

We can even go as far as to raise the question, what can’t it treat? As basic and clinical neuroscience studies continue researching different brain and mood related conditions, and their responsiveness to EEG neurofeedback training and EEG biofeedback, we learn that it can be effective in most disorders, as well as in boosting well-being and brain function.

Does Neurofeedback Have Any Side Effects?

Occasionally, mild side effects can develop when undergoing neurofeedback. For instance, periodically someone may feel worn out, disoriented, anxious, have a headache, struggle to fall asleep, or be irritated. 

These adverse consequences can occasionally happen. Such emotions typically disappear shortly after a training session. Training techniques can be changed, typically rapidly getting rid of such small side effects, if a customer feels they could be having one and informs the provider of this.

Where Should I Start My Neurofeedback Training?

As research continues to be conducted, and professionals continue to expand their practice, neurofeedback training’s popularity will grow, but also its power to heal people and help them become the best version of themselves.

In order for this to happen, you need to start your training alongside people you can trust to have the best equipment, but also your best interest in mind. Beaverton Neurofeedback is determined to maximize the healing potential of neurofeedback in order to help as many people as possible with their struggles.

If neurofeedback therapy is something you want to try, contact us and let’s figure out the best plan for you and your needs!