Chronic pain and TMS

A few years ago I read John Sarno, MD’s book Healing Back Pain, and was impressed with the concept that most chronic pain and many chronic conditions were due to unconscious and unresolved emotions. Medical journals consistently estimate 70-80% of all doctor visits are due to stress and not to a “true medical condition”. I have seen many clients in my practice who have painful conditions that have not resolved with medical treatment.

In his several books, including the latest, The Mindbody Prescription, Dr. Sarno explains the cause of pain as being Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS). TMS is a harmless and yet painful condition that occurs in muscles, tendons or nerves where capillaries (tiny blood vessels) constrict; which causes restricted blood flow. Restricted blood flow causes mild oxygen deprivation and this results in pain. These physical symptoms may occur as numbness, tingling, weakness or burning; but it's always harmless in spite of how intensely painful it can be.The cause of TMS is not physical, but rather psychological. To fully understand this diagnosis, one must acknowledge the existence of the unconscious mind and accept the powerful influence it holds on our lives. The diagnosis of TMS acknowledges that unconscious, unresolved emotions of sadness and rage start to become conscious, and present a threat. And so, our brain creates the pain in order to distract our conscious mind from the unconscious negative emotions.

When clients have already seen many doctors without relief, I recommend they see David Schechter, MD, in Los Angeles, a physician trained by Dr. Sarno (who is in New York) for an opinion whether TMS is the actual condition. If it is, the process of healing can begin, and my role is to assist in accepting the diagnosis. I have videos to watch and methods that help a person reduce their pain and start getting on with their lives. Some of these methods may include alpha-theta neurofeedback training, Open Focus training, HRV training, or the Alpha-Stim SCS.

Exercise improves brain functioning

One of the more effective ways of improving brain functioning is to exercise at least three times weekly for 30 minutes. Exercise has been shown to help build new capillaries, thereby increasing oxygen and nutrient supplies to brain cells as well as removing waste. Virtually any type of exercise is better than none, whether it’s walking, biking, jogging, sports, or lifting weights. However, I tend to recommend interval training rather than endurance training. The difference is that after you get your heart rate up, you either slow down, or better yet, take a 4-5 minute compete rest. Then you repeat the cycle. Preliminary studies have shown that this can increase heart rate variability, which is associated with good health. Feel free to contact me for more specific details on interval training.

Omega-3 shown to help depression and bipolar disorder

Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid that is found in fish and in certain plants such as flaxseed, pumpkin seed, and walnuts flax seeds. Omega-3 appears to be critical to the growth and maintenance of brain cells. It is strongly implicated in helping depression and Bipolar Disorder. A 1999 Harvard pilot study was conducted on 30 patients with bipolar disorder. The trial was supposed to go on for nine months, but was stopped after four due to its outstanding results. Psychiatrist, Andrew Stoll, MD, faculty member at Harvard Medical School, wrote the book, The Omega-3 Connection, where he documented how daily intake reduces depression and improves heart function. He set up www.omegabrite.com to distribute high quality Omega-3 supplements. I’m pleased to report that more than one of my clients have had excellent results from taking Omegabrite as predicted by Dr. Stoll. Omega-3 supplements, however, should not be taken without first consulting your doctor or psychiatrist.

Neurofeedback helps Bipolar Disorder

Siegfried Othmer of eeginfo wrote, “Some 57 years ago the efficacy of lithium was discovered in Australia for what was then called "Manic-Depressive Illness." The finding took another fifteen years or so to gain acceptance in the United States, but then lithium changed the face of American psychiatry almost single-handedly. By now, of course, treatment with lithium and the anti-convulsants is standard. But we are still just trying to manage the condition with the medications.

Neurofeedback now seems so tailor-made for Bipolar Disorder that we may well be on the way to a second revolution in psychiatry to supersede the pharmacological revolution spurred on by lithium. The problem is one of brain instability, and this instability appears to be lodged in the cerebral networks. Neurofeedback can be used to train the brain toward stability.

Neurofeedback represents a more organic remedy is buttressed by the reports that people don't experience the constriction of their functionality that is sometimes seen with the meds. Successful training may mean that trainees must forego the euphoria that can attend uncontrolled mania, but at least there is no evidence that function is constrained or that a person's spark and spunk are somehow dulled.

In practice, Neurofeedback is usually combined with a medication strategy. People will usually already be well medicated when they seek us out for Neurofeedback, and successful training will usually result in a downward titration of the medication dose. Where that process ends is a very individual matter, and also depends on the judgment of the responsible physician.”

Ode Magazine writes about neurofeedback

In the March 2009 edition of Ode Magazine, writer Blaine Greteman offers an in depth view of neurofeedback. She writes, “After years on the outskirts of medical respectability, neurofeedback has been vindicated by a growing body of evidence showing its potentially remarkable benefits to everyone from elite athletes and musicians to violent criminals and children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The U.S. National Library of Medicine's database of scholarly articles, for example, contains dozens of positive scientific studies on neurofeedback published in the last two years. The results, from some of the world's top universities and research hospitals, suggest that neurofeedback is a promising treatment for a range of cognitive health issues: seizures, low IQ in kids with learning difficulties, vertigo and tinnitus in the elderly, and substance abuse, even with notoriously addictive, destructive drugs like crack cocaine.” To read the entire text, go to http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/61/neurofeedback

Rapid recovery from PTSD

In the latest eeginfo newsletter, Siegfried Othmer presented a case history of a successful outcome of Vietnam veteran using neurofeedback. He wrote, “We have just experienced a remarkably quick recovery from PTSD symptoms in a Vietnam veteran. The case is illustrative of the more rapid pace of recovery that is achievable with the latest neurofeedback techniques that encompass the infra-low range of EEG frequencies. The veteran has had a forty-year history of PTSD, and was rescued from homelessness by the Salvation Army here in Los Angeles. He came to our offices for intensive neurofeedback training through the auspices of the Salvation Army. In exchange for our providing services at no cost, the veteran has allowed us to make his case history available for the benefit of other clinicians.

After 18 sessions, the veteran reported more than an 80% reduction in overall symptoms and 93% reduction in PTSD symptoms. Even more significantly, nightmares, flashbacks, suicidal thoughts, and binging and purging were all eliminated within three sessions. You can read the full story at http://www.eeginfo.com/newsletter/02.20.09.html

I was trained by Sue and Siegfried Othmer and use the latest neurofeedback techniques they describe in this article.

HEG helps with ADD/ADHD, Dyslexia, and Migraine

The most recent technology to be added to my practice is Hershel Toomin’s biofeedback unit, the nirHEG. This unit trains a person to increase blood flow in the brain, with a special focus on the prefrontal cortex. An optical sensor is placed on the forehead using a headband, and a person is instructed to watch the display and increase their score. HEG is not relaxation. It is concentrated attention. Hershel Toomin and his wife were directors of the Los Angeles Biofeedback Institute for four decades and developed this technology out of their research attempting to find the most effective form of self-regulation.

The nirHEG is very easy to use. Voluntary control of blood flow in the pre-frontal area is quickly learned, seldom requiring more than 5 minutes. The results are quantifiable as growth in vascularity between exercise sessions. For some conditions, exercising enhanced blood flow may be more efficient and effective than EEG training.

SPECT and PET studies have implicated insufficient blood flow (hypoperfusion) in specific areas brain areas as a factor in various brain dysfunctions. Most brain disorders are candidates for improvement by means of increased cortical vascularity. Those brain difficulties that tend to respond best to HEG are: ADD/ADHD, Dyslexia, Migraine, Traumatic Brain injury, Toxic Encephalopathy, Epilepsy, Endogenous Depression, Ageing Dementia, Autism, Aspbergers Syndrome, Schizophrenia, and perhaps Alzheimers Disease. Improvements in memory and cognitive functioning typically are seen within the first 10 sessions for most clients.

Over 2000 clinicians internationally have been using it for clearing mental fog, increasing motivation, improving memory capacity, controlling impulses, recouping lost vascularization, and increasing bloodflow to regions of the brain.

Heroin and amphetamine addiction

Periodically, I am asked whether neurofeedback can help heroin or amphetamine addiction. The answer is yes and no. While I have had excellent success with marijuana, alcohol, and cocaine dependency, heroin and amphetamine are far more difficult to treat. I have found that the best initial treatment is Ibogaine for these two drug dependencies. Ibogaine is a plant alkaloid found in the root bark of a West African shrub. It has the unique property of removing withdrawal symptoms and reducing cravings from heroin and amphetamines. It has a long history of traditional use as a medicinal and spiritual tool in West Africa. For the last 40 years, it has increasingly been used in western society as a tool in addiction therapy and psychotherapy. Ibogaine is legal in most parts of the world, but is illegal in the US. One has to go to Mexico for this treatment. My role can be to offer follow-up neurofeedback to further stabilize the brain and minimize relapse. For further information, you can go to websites:
http://www.ibogaine.co.uk/ibogaine6.htm
http://www.awakeninginthedream.com/
http://www.lunartproductions.com/

Autism can be helped

I found this report in Science Daily Feb 2008 on a recent study published in Biofeedback. “Research on autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) shows that neurofeedback (EEG biofeedback) can remediate anomalies in brain activation, leading to symptom reduction and functional improvement. This evidence raises the hopes for a behavioral, psychophysiological intervention moderating the severity of ASD.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a lack of appropriate eye contact, facial expression, social interaction, communication, and restricted repetitive behavior. Research has shown that related symptoms of ASD are the result of brain dysfunction in multiple brain regions. Functional neuroimaging and electroencephalography research have shown this to be related to abnormal neural connectivity problems. The brains of individuals with ASD show areas of both excessively high connectivity and deficient connectivity. In other words, some areas of the brain are chatting excessively with themselves, while failing to communicate normally with other relevant regions.

In one 2006 study using connectivity-guided neurofeedback, pre-post analyses showed a 40 percent reduction in autistic symptoms, enhancement of function between the brain and behavior, and reduction of hyperconnectivity. These results begin to verify the theory that interhemispheric, bipolar neurofeedback montages can lead to reduction in hyperconnectivity based on the reward band trained.”

Interhemispheric bipolar training can be done using the Cygnet/NeuroAmp EEG neurofeedback unit, which is available in my office. I have been trained to use this system and can assist children and adults who have an autistic spectrum disorder.

Amino Acid Therapy for ADHD

The University of North Texas is conducting a study using NeuroResearch amino acid protocols that I use in my practice for ADHD. Twelve school districts in north Texas were recruited and have signed up to participate in the study. In the pilot study leading to this research project, Ross Stewart, PhD from Dallas, Texas, reported that 82% of children achieved relief of ADHD symptoms. Of the 18% that did not respond the problem revolved around not taking pills properly. The two primary problems encountered being oppositional defiance on the part of the child who refused to take the pills or parents that did not give the pills to their children properly. I have seen excellent results with the amino acid therapy for not only ADHD, but also depression, migraine headaches, menopausal symptoms, panic attacks, and obesity. It is a very useful adjuct to neurofeedback as it offers the brain nutritional support.

70% of Migraine Patients Find Neurofeedback Cuts Headache Frequency in Half

I found this article on the Internet. “At the most recent Association of Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback Conference, Deborah Stokes, Ph.D, presented her study on neurofeedback and migraine headaches. The findings showed that 26 clients, or 70% of the 37 migraine sufferers, experienced at least a 50% reduction in frequency of their headaches. This data was collected after an average of 14.5 months following treatment, which suggests that results are long-lasting. The study also showed that clients experienced a reduction of symptoms in other co-occurring conditions such as attention deficit disorder, depression, anxiety, other headaches, insomnia and other pain syndromes.

Neurofeedback or EEG biofeedback is a painless, non-invasive method that targets specific brainwave frequencies in order to alleviate symptoms such as inattention, depression, anxiety, headaches and insomnia. Sensors are attached to the scalp and project the brainwaves onto a computer screen in the form of a video game. Clients are instructed to play the video game by using their minds. They are able to eventually shift the targeted brainwave frequencies implicated in their presenting problem and thereby alleviate their symptoms.

"Prior to neurofeedback, I would have approximately 16 yearly visits to the emergency room for migraine treatment. Having tried numerous medications and other treatments over a 15 year period, neurofeedback is the only one that has been successful in reducing my headaches by 80% and the results have lasted for five years now." Lynn Hertel, Arlington, VA.

Many migraine patients also have depression or anxiety and these clients often have a heightened stress response. Neurofeedback has been shown to be helpful for these conditions by decreasing stress patterns that are reflected in the brainwaves."

Gold for Biofeedback

Abhinav Bindra was determined to do whatever it took to win the Olympic Gold for India in 2008. He became the first ever to win the medal for shooting (Men’s 10m Air Rifle) for his country. It was India’s first gold medal for any sport in the Olympics since 1980. To prepare for this event, Abhinay accumulated over 150 hours of training on the various modalities of biofeedback and neurofeedback. Sports psychologists are aware of how emotional states impede technical skill execution. The training involved teaching how to control breathing and heart-rate, eliminating excess tension in muscles, eliminate fluctuation between sympathetic/parasympathetic states during triggering, stopping the inner monologue, and sharpening the focus and reaction time. Abhinay found skin conductivity and temperature control biofeedback to be very helpful. Neurofeedback was used to improve focus and to quiet the mind. With biofeedback, the psychologists do not train the athlete to execute the skill, but rather train the athlete to prepare to execute the skill. An example is to train the athlete to enter the proper state 3-5 seconds prior to performing the event. Even elite athletes have lots of room for improvements and can clearly benefit from a combination of biofeedback and neurofeedback.