Whether it is stress, stress, a burnout, sleep problems or a congenital brain trauma due to a whiplash or concussion. In many cases, treatment of
- Article
- 2020-07-14
Whether it is stress, stress, a burnout, sleep problems or a congenital brain trauma due to a whiplash or concussion. In many cases, treatment of the associated complaints focuses on symptom management and not the underlying cause. And that is exactly what neurofeedback zooms in on, the underlying cause: abnormal brain waves. Neurofeedback is a treatment method for various brain related disorders. It can be seen as physiotherapy for the brain. Neurofeedback helps to train the brain in balance, just as you train the body in balance with the physiotherapist. In this blog we will discuss how neurofeedback works.
The problem: abnormal brain waves
It may sound strange, abnormal brain waves, but it is actually quite easy to explain. Just as we can measure blood pressure and heart rate and know when these deviate from the norm (so too high or low heart rate or blood pressure), we can also hang values on brain waves. Also for brain waves are desirable values and we notice that when brain waves fall outside these values, the different brain areas communicate with each other insufficiently efficiently. There is also talk about the imbalance of the brain. Being out of balance can (eventually) lead to you experiencing psychological and / or physical complaints. Instead of fighting those complaints, neurofeedback tackles the cause. By means of operant conditioning (punishment and reward), the brain waves are trained again within the norm. This reduces the complaints or even removes them completely.
The extra step of neurofeedback
In addition to addressing the cause, neurofeedback can in some cases also be used to confirm a diagnosis. In this way it can put an end to the ambiguity. A good example of this is in the case of burnout. Especially in the first phase it is difficult to diagnose, but by looking at the brain waves it can already be determined. The activity pattern of the brain during burnout is too high, even in the resting phase. This makes resting impossible and causes fatigue. In order to continue to function and perform, overtime is worked internally. Slowly you burn up completely. In this case, neurofeedback can indicate a burnout, but neurofeedback also helps treat a burnout.
A treatment without medication
After an intake, a brain scan is made to find out which specific areas are out of balance. Once established, the training continues through operant conditioning (punishment and reward) to train the brain waves within the desired values. An EEG cap with 19 sensors is placed on the head in advance. These sensors register the brain waves. A film is shown during the training. When the brain waves do not function within the norm values, the film stops automatically (a punishment for the brain). The film only continues when the brain activity is back within the norm values (a reward for the brain). This method is experienced by many people as pleasant and has an effective and lasting result.
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