Neurofeedback in Raleigh

We are all bombarded by environmental and psychological stressors daily. These impact your body and your nervous system adversely. This overload can lead to abnormal and lasting changes in brain wave patterns. A healthy brain produces a symphony of brain wave patterns and can shift between them as the situation warrants. In the case of anxiety, the brain overproduces higher frequency, Beta, brainwaves and has trouble shifting out of that alert vigilance. At Midtown Chiropractic & Acupuncture in Raleigh we use Neurofeedback to normalize your brainwaves. You will feel more relaxed and able to cope with the changing demands of your day as your nervous system regains flexibility with neurofeedback.

Neurofeedback is also known as EEG Biofeedback. It is a guided exercise for the brain that uses feedback to teach the brain how to normalize brainwaves. Neurofeedback is a learning modality designed to stimulate new neural pathways and teach the brain to balance itself and improve abnormal brainwave patterns. In the case of anxiety, the brain learns to move out of excessive Beta frequencies into the lower, more relaxed frequencies of Alpha, Theta and, in the case of sleep, Delta.

The medical approach to addressing anxiety involves the prescription of anti-depressants, usually selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs work to delay the metabolism of serotonin in the pleasure centers of the brain. SSRI’s are effective in helping people feel good but, like all medications, they have side effects and they don’t actually correct the problem.

Medications do produce changes in brain wave patterns but they do not address the underlying causes of brainwave imbalance. The medications have a suppressing effect on the variability of brainwave patterns but it is artificially induced and can lead to chemical dependence for that feeling of satiety.  There is a better approach.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 68 children in the U.S. have autism. The prevalence is 1 in 42 for boys and 1 in 189 for girls. The symptoms of ASD (autistic spectrum disorder) include learning disability, ADHD, OCD, generalized anxiety and depression, resistance to change in daily routines, poor motor skills, repetitive behaviors or movements, and loud outbursts.

Research is currently inconclusive but we know that Autism develops from a complex combination of factors. It is believed that stress overwhelms the developing toddler’s system. This stress can result from emotional or physical stressors as well as from a chemically toxic burden to the body including exposure to medications, possibly vaccines, environment, diet, lifestyle, and genetics. These all can accumulate to contribute to the development of ASD.

The answer is often yes. ASD is often associated with abnormal brainwave patterns. Studies show that neurofeedback helps to stabilize and improve brainwave function. Neurofeedback uses biofeedback technology to teach the brain the self-regulate and establish healthier brainwave patterns. In this way, the person is better able to cope with ASD and their liFestyle outcomes are optimized.

Neurofeedback has been clinically observed to improve areas such as increased initiation of touch and contact, reduced emotional outbursts, better responses to parental and teacher instructions, increased imaginative thought, decreased hyperactivity, clearer speech patterns and improvement in social skills.

Performing at your peak comes at a price. These physical, mental and emotional demands can stimulate your sympathetic response and trigger the fight or flight response within your body. Long-term stress of this type impedes your ability to respond to changing demands. When you stay in a prolonged state of stress your body is fatigued and brain function is negatively impacted. Neurofeedback at Midtown Chiropractic & Acupuncture in Raleigh provides you with the tools to recognize and reduce this stress and that allows you to improve memory and performance.