Alternative Fibromyalgia Treatment, is Neurofeedback an effective treatment for pain relief?
Fibromyalgia pain relief is something that sufferers have been longing for, as the medical condition is characterized by widespread chronic pain. Those who have this condition also experience chronic fatigue and general discomfort, and to this day there are limited treatment options for the ailment.
Among those that are used are Botox, lidocaine injections, muscle relaxants, seizure medications, and antidepressants, all of which provide temporary relief at best. However, studies now suggest neurofeedback can help.
An Overview of Fibromyalgia Pain
Fibromyalgia affects around 5 million people around the world, and 80 to 90% of those are women. There are a lot of symptoms associated with this condition, but the most common are the following:
• Bladder conditions
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Arthritis
• Memory loss and other cognitive problems
• Chronic fatigue
• Difficulty sleeping
The cause of fibromyalgia has yet to be determined conclusively, but it might be commenced to your central nervous system (CNS), and since this is linked to your brain, it only makes sense to implement neurofeedback therapy re-train and make the proper changes to your brain patterns that relate to the disorder.
How is Neurofeedback an Alternative Fibromyalgia Treatment?
Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback only it’s for your brain. While the practice has been around for years, it’s only now that it’s getting wide recognition in terms of improving your brain’s function and ability to heal itself. Neurofeedback is an especially good alternative for fibromyalgia because it doesn’t require medication.
Similar to biofeedback, neurofeedback utilizes electrodes and other electronic tools to monitor and teach your body to control what would otherwise be automatic body functions like muscle tension, heart rate and blood pressure.
To put it another way, neurofeedback works to tune up your brain. Through constant training, the abnormal areas in your brain are corrected, and that is what makes it ideal as an alternative fibromyalgia treatment.
Alternative Fibromyalgia Pain Relief and Neurofeedback
Several studies including one published in the Journal of Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback suggest that neurofeedback significantly reduces the symptoms associated with fibromyalgia syndrome, and a lot of patients who have used neurofeedback say the same thing, that it is much more effective than other types of medications, prescription drugs and painkillers.
There is still a lot of research to be done on the subject, but the key appears to be the way the pain receptors in your brain works. Based on the latest research it appears that individuals who suffer from fibromyalgia have acquired an overly sensitive receptor to these pain signals, and this is what generates all those symptoms.
Neurofeedback, an Alternative Treatment for Fibromyalgia
With the help of neurofeedback for fibromyalgia your brain is able to develop new and more robust brain patterns that will override and replace the extremely sensitive pain receptors in your brain. Pain medications and prescription drugs only provide temporary relief, but neurofeedback can provide you with an effective way of shutting down the extreme pain signals that go off in your head.
To make it clear, neurofeedback is going to teach your brain how to properly respond to those signals and reduce the amount of pain you are feeling. This isn’t going to work overnight and you will need several sessions to feel the difference, but it does work as those who have undergone treatment will point out.
The effect is not limited to young people with fibromyalgia, as even those who have been suffering form it for years will benefit. One case involved a 60 year old woman who had been suffering from fibromyalgia for 15 years. She had tried all kinds of treatments and nothing work, but after just six neurofeedback sessions the symptoms disappeared.
Other Benefits of Neurofeedback for Fibromyalgia Pain Relief
Aside from helping reduce the pain, neurofeedback also increases your body’s energy supply and lets you sleep better, which is one of the most common complaints of those who suffer from fibromyalgia. Aside from that, the continuous training of your brain enhances your cognitive functions and your sense of well-being and calmness.
It might seem surprising that neurofeedback is capable of a lot more than just removing fibromyalgia symptoms, but the fact is that this alternative fibromyalgia treatment training extends to all facets of your brain. While the main purpose of the training is to reduce the amount of pain you go through, it normalizes and regulates your brain’s patterns, so you feel belter overall.
To speak with our pain relief doctor for Alternative Fibromyalgia Treatment, give us a call at (801) 649-4445 or fill out the form to schedule an appointment today!