Benefits of Neurofeedback Therapy in Tampa, FL
Neurofeedback is a drug-free, noninvasive therapy making waves in recent years for its ability to help regulate the brain. There are many common and well-known benefits of neurofeedback including the reduction of anxiety, improved sleep, improved focus and attention, emotional recovery, and trauma recovery. For anyone struggling with these issues, neurofeedback is a good option to support growth and healing.
NEUROFEEDBACK FOR ANXIETY
The brain is complex and unique, operating much like a computer but with depth of emotion and feeling wired specifically to each individual. When the brain is functioning as it was designed, there are waves, like circuits, that each perform a specific role and function. These waves are beta, theta, alpha, delta, and gamma. Alpha waves are known to control the sense of calm in the body, leading to a relaxed alertness. Theta and delta waves are slower and are seen during rest and sleep. High beta waves are linked to stress and anxiety. When the body is in a constant state of stress, either from trauma or illness or any other related disorder, the brain can become stuck in a high beta, which leaves a person on edge and feeling under constant threat. Neurofeedback recognizes the different brain waves and patterns and can identify an imbalance in wave patterns. This allows the treatment to target a specific area and issue, offering relief to the patient.
Neurofeedback offers real time results. During treatment, small sensors are placed on the scalp, and while the patient watches a screen, the machine will pick up on brain wave patterns. Alpha will brighten the screen while high beta waves will dim it. Your brain, being highly functional, will begin to slowly readjust in order to brighten the screen again. It will rewire itself to produce the desired result. Over time, and with repetition, your brain slowly learns to stay in this more relaxed state, which is called neuroplasticity.
Just as we have to train our bodies to become stronger through repetition, so the brain can be trained. Neurofeedback is like weight training. It adds just the smallest amount of resistance, allowing the unbalanced wave patterns to readjust over time and relearn what calm really looks like. If the high stress and anxiety brain waves have been the default, neurofeedback has the potential to reset that default to a calmer and more relaxed state.
NEUROFEEDBACK FOR IMPROVED SLEEP
Sleep and brainwave activity are deeply connected. This is why so many people who struggle with anxiety also find sleep difficult. As discussed earlier, our brain produces different wave patterns, with each being responsible for a different function. Your alpha brain waves are responsible for relaxed alertness. These are the waves patterns that should dominate as you wind down for the night. Theta brain waves control light sleep. These are responsible for helping you fall asleep, and these patterns, when functioning properly, also keep you sleeping through the night. Delta brain waves are the slowest and are responsible for your most relaxed state of being. These are what control deep sleep which, as we now know, is where your body restores and repairs itself. You need all of these brain waves to work together to produce the best night’s sleep.
When the high beta wave patterns have become the default, however, they overpower all other wave patterns. They interrupt the alpha waves trying to help you relax. They interfere with the theta waves, keeping you from falling asleep. And if none of the other brain wave patterns are able to fight the beta waves, then the delta, too, gets overpowered leaving a person high strung, restless, and anxious. High beta waves leave a person feeling worried and anxious. These are the fast-moving brain waves that cause racing thoughts and higher heart rates.
NEUROFEEDBACK FOR IMPROVED FOCUS AND ATTENTION
Neurofeedback utilizes the sensors on the scalp to detect brain patterns, giving real time results in minutes. While a person is connected to the sensors, he or she will do normal activities such as reading a book, watching a tablet, or listening to music. The sensors on the scalp measure the brain waves and immediately send those to a computer monitoring the progress.
The computer analyzes the data it receives and responds by sending feedback to the screen or to the patient’s ears through sound. This provides gentle “correction” to the brain waves that are stuck in unhealthy patterns. Over time, the brain learns to repeat those specific wave patterns on its own, leading to self-regulation.
When a patient struggles with attention and focus, often their brain wave patterns show too many theta waves (which are the slow waves), and not enough beta (which regulate the faster functioning waves of the brain. This leads to a lack of attentiveness, and a struggle with focusing the thoughts.
Neurofeedback helps to reduce the number of theta waves and increase beta, rerouting the wave patterns that are slowing the patient down and giving them improved clarity and attention. All of this helps improve quality of life as patients are better able to concentrate in school and work settings, thereby overall improving everything. Neurofeedback also helps to improve brain regulation and flexibility, allowing patients an easier transition from one activity to another. Using the rewards patterns described earlier, neurofeedback actually trains the brain to respond to situations correctly. Much like a muscle has to be exercised to strengthen, so the brain needs reminders and strengthening exercises to improve function.
Some studies show neurofeedback to be as effective as prescribed medications. This can drastically improve the side effects of ADHD when given the full course of treatment. Benefits can also include better moods, improved sleep, and reduced impulsivity, all of which support attention. Common treatment plans include 30 to 60 minutes one to three times per week for several months until improvements are seen consistently.
NEUROFEEDBACK FOR EMOTIONAL RECOVERY
Neurofeedback helps regulate the stress hormones in the body. By managing the wave patterns of the brain, neurofeedback helps a person better regulate their moods overall. When recovering from an emotionally traumatic event, neurofeedback can offer critical support as it helps the brain regulate the beta waves and reroute unhealthy wave lengths. This has the potential to help with reduced anxiety, an improved ability to stay grounded, and fewer panic attacks.
Often, after trauma or difficulties, people talk of feeling numb or detached. The brain goes into hyper protection mode in a form of self-preservation. Essentially, the brain can become stuck in a hyper-emotional, fight or flight state, which affects how a patient reacts to stressful or emotional experiences.
Neurofeedback picks up on these repeated brain waves and, in real time, adjusts the brain wave pattern, therefore encouraging the brain wave patterns associated with emotional stability, calm awareness, and self-regulation to rewire themselves in a more regulated fashion. This helps many people feel more connected to themselves, allows for a deeper sense of peace and an ability to feel present in the moment, and it can reduce emotional volatility.
NEUROFEEDBACK IS NOT A CURE-ALL
While neurofeedback has many benefits as a non-invasive, drug free therapy, it is not sufficient alone to give a patient overall benefits. When used in tandem with nutrition, exercise, counseling, and quality sleep, neurofeedback adds an undercurrent of support to a healing brain. Neurofeedback is a support that is best utilized alongside other modalities for emotional healing. While neurofeedback has been used for some time as a treatment modality for emotional and mental health, an emerging treatment is making waves for offering similar benefits but with fewer treatments and less necessary participation from the patient. This treatment option is called Microcurrent Neurofeedback.
HOW DOES TRADITIONAL NEUROFEEDBACK DIFFER FROM MICRONEURFEEDBACK
Neurofeedback and Micro neurofeedback (MCN) both share the same goal—to help the brain regulate and reset—but they differ in how this is done. Traditional neurofeedback utilizes EEG sensors to manipulate and respond to brain waves. This system provides real-time feedback, usually through visual or auditory cues, to give the brain immediate feedback allowing it to better self-regulate. Sensors are placed on the patient’s scalp, and they participate in the session through changes in sound, video, or game, and they receive currents of feedback to their engaged brain waves. This treatment is used to treat a variety of issues including ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, PTSD, migraines and sleep disorders. Neurofeedback requires 20-40 sessions for long-term results.
MCN allows for a more passive treatment. Rather than treating the brain with loops of feedback, MCN uses low level pulses to stimulate sensitive areas of the brain that are dysregulated. Essentially, MCN offers interruptions to unhealthy brain wave patterns, unsticking them from their normal route and behaviors, and strengthening them in ways that help the patient better self-regulate.
The brain wave stimulation offered in MCN treatments is at a much lower level, making this a good treatment option for young or small children, or those who have a harder time sitting still and focusing. Often MCN treatments last anywhere from 15-20 minutes. They are most effective when done 2-3 times per week for several weeks in a row before slowly cutting back to once a week, and then on an as needed basis.
A trained MCN practitioner will help determine what is the best, and most effective, treatment plan for you based on your symptoms and needs. MCN is shown to be an effective non-invasive treatment for those struggling with anxiety, depression, sleep issues, autism, lack of focus, and trauma.
What Can Micro current Neurofeedback Help With?
One of the primary benefits of micro current neurofeedback therapy is its ability to promote neurological balance and optimize brainwave activity. Many individuals experience dysregulated brain activity due to stress, trauma, or neurological conditions, leading to issues such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD, and even chronic pain. By gently stimulating the brain with microcurrents, this therapy encourages the nervous system to return to a more balanced state, often resulting in improved emotional regulation, reduced anxiety, and enhanced cognitive clarity.
Additionally, MCN is recognized for its effectiveness in treating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Individuals who have experienced significant trauma often suffer from hyperactive fight-or-flight responses, leading to heightened anxiety, sleep disturbances, and emotional dysregulation. Studies suggest that MCN can help reduce these symptoms by promoting neurological calming and allowing the brain to process trauma more effectively. Unlike pharmaceutical interventions, which often come with side effects, this therapy is drug-free, making it an appealing alternative for those seeking healing that is more holistic.
The cumulative benefits of MCN therapy make it a promising approach for individuals seeking alternative treatments for mental health challenges, neurological conditions, and cognitive enhancement. The ability of MCN to promote relaxation, support brain recovery, improve cognitive function, enhance sleep, and reduce symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and chronic pain highlight its potential as a valuable tool in neurological and mental health treatment. As awareness of this therapy grows, it may become an increasingly mainstream option for those looking to optimize their brain health in a safe, effective, and drug-free manner. While more studies are needed to understand the full potential of MCN therapy, early results by those consistently using this treatment plan are promising and encouraging.
Overall, Microcurrent Neurofeedback is an innovative therapeutic modality offering a unique approach to treat numerous emotional and physical issues. Our sleep and stress are so often linked to our physical and emotional well-being. MCN is shown to help improve both of those areas, healing and rewiring stuck brain waves, and allowing patients to better function and process other areas of their lives. This is a noninvasive procedure that requires no downtime between treatments, making it an effective tool to utilize in the emotional and physical healing process. From trauma to illness, MCN is an effective treatment when used by a trained professional.
Start Your Neurofeedback Journey at Christian Counseling of Tampa
At Christian Counseling of Tampa, we are well-trained and equipped in the utilization and implementation of micro current neurofeedback, and we would love to be a part of your healing journey. Call us today for more information on MCN, and to set up your first consultation where we will walk you through the treatment options best suited to your needs.
Read more about Micro Current Neurofeedback in our MCN series:
Micro Current Neurofeedback Therapy in Tampa: Gentle, Noninvasive Cutting-Edge Technology
Is Microcurrent Neurofeedback Safe for Kids?
