About Neurofeedback
Here are our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Neurofeedback Therapy.
What is Neurofeedback and why should I use it?
Neurofeedback is a powerful technology that can help you train your brain. Through training you can unlock unknown cognitive potential and achieve long-awaited goals and dreams.
There are several benefits of Neurofeedback training, both for the brain and body, including: stress reduction, improvement of sleep patterns, better focus, heightened mental clarity and enhanced cognitive performance.
Both trainers and clients have used the NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback system to address physical, emotional and cognitive complaints with great success. These fall into a few general categories:
1. Physical, Cognitive and Emotional Challenges
The FDA has approved neurofeedback for relaxation training. When stress is reduced, many other complaints have been noted to subside. Adults and children who have used NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback have reported reduced negative symptoms typically associated with conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, Alzheimer's, autism, sleep disorders, misophonia and other physical and neurological issues. In November of 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorsed Neurofeedback, aka EEG Biofeedback, as a “Level 1/Best Support” treatment for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). Furthermore, the AAP has equated neurofeedback with medication in terms of efficacy for resolving ADHD.
2. General Wellness
NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback encourages an overall positive mental outlook and a deeper understanding of the mind/body connection. For those looking to enhance their daily health and wellness, neurofeedback training can be an excellent supplement to a healthy diet and exercise routine, helping patients achieve mindfulness based stress reduction.
3. Brain Fitness/Age Remediation
Along with healthy lifestyle choices, NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback can be a powerful tool to remedy many memory loss issues that naturally occur as we age. Just as physical exercise benefits the body, NeurOptimal® training helps improve brain performance and keeps it at its best condition.
4. Peak Physical/Cognitive Performance
Many professional athletes use Neurofeedback to provide that much needed mental edge which often results in gold medals and championships. When competitors are separated by 100ths of a second, the improved mental focus and physical performance Neurofeedback provides can mean the difference between winning and losing. But you don't have to be a pro athlete to enjoy the benefits of neurofeedback. If you simply want to improve mental performance and develop your attention and focusing skills, Neurofeedback training might just be the right choice for you.
5. Improved Academic Performance
Because it helps improve concentration and increase focus, students often use NeurOptimal® as an important tool to improve their performance in school. Unlike so-called "smart drugs" or neuro enhancing pharmaceuticals, NeurOptimal® is 100% drug-free and has no known neurofeedback side effects (apart from improving your sleep!). Neurotherapy is one of the greatest ways to improve memory and concentration and can be a great tool to help train your mind to focus.
WHAT HAPPENS IN A SEsSION?
You will sit in a comfortable chair surrounded by quiet. At the beginning of this biofeedback session, your certified NeurOptimal® trainer will place two small sensors on your scalp and a few on your ears. As the session starts, you will listen to music playing through headphones and you can watch relaxing geometric images gently morph across a computer screen or close your eyes and just relax. You will hear occasional "skips" or interruptions in the music - this is the feedback signal that alerts your brain whenever an anomaly is detected in any of the frequencies of brain activity that are being picked up by the sensors. The brain utilizes this information to "reset" and optimize itself. That's it! It is that simple.
A NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback training session is relaxing, enjoyable, and typically lasts about 45 minutes.
At the end of a session, you will likely feel less stressed and more mentally clear. It is unlikely you will experience any negative after-effects as NeurOptimal® does not artificially "push" the brain in any specific direction. Many users experience deeper sleep after their very first session.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Neurofeedback training for the human brain is similar to physical training for the body. Much of our suffering comes from pervasive recurring thoughts and feelings in which our minds become emotionally stranded or cognitively “stuck”. NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback prompts the brain to draw from its existing resources and pull itself out of these mental “ruts”. The result is a more open and positive mindset in which obstacles are more manageable and problems more resolvable.
Much like a mirror that promotes self-correction, NeurOptimal®’s propriety neurofeedback program monitors your brain waves and then provides “feedback” to your central nervous system about what it has just done. When the software detects a tremor in your brain wave pattern, it sends an audible signal that encourages the brain to “reset” and self-correct.