| Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are | | | | of some kind of head injury. When the brain has |
| notorious for destroying lives, but not in the way | | | | been injured, one of the many challenges that will |
| that some might think. True, the symptoms alone | | | | often surface is that of transitioning smoothly |
| can push even the strongest person to the brink | | | | from one brain wave frequency to the next. |
| of despair, but what many sufferers find to be | | | | A brain that is "stuck" in a frequency associated |
| the most difficult part to deal with is the doubt | | | | with fear and stress, for example, will eventually |
| and skepticism, even by their healthcare | | | | exhaust an otherwise healthy body to the point |
| providers, that anything is wrong. | | | | of being susceptible to a whole host of other |
| If you have fibromyalgia, you well know the | | | | problems. Both fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue |
| agony of waking up each day with your muscles | | | | can spiral downward, seemingly out of control |
| painfully tight and knotted after yet another night | | | | without the proper treatment and intervention. |
| of never having dipped into the stages of sleep | | | | Neurofeedback therapy can end this spiral by |
| where healing takes place. | | | | training your brain to function differently. |
| Chronic fatigue sufferers don't fare much better, | | | | How Does Neurofeedback Therapy Work? |
| often waking up too exhausted to even consider | | | | While you relax, your therapist will attach very |
| doing anything other than what is absolutely | | | | thin leads that transmit electrical energy from |
| essential for survival, only to have a doctor say | | | | your brain into an EEG device. A special gel is used |
| it's all in your head. | | | | to comfortably hold the leads in place. You will |
| The muscular pain of fibromyalgia is often so | | | | then use brain waves to alter what is happening |
| severe that only powerful drugs like vicodin and | | | | to a visual display on a computer screen. You will |
| morphine can bring any relief. The sad paradox is | | | | use your brain waves to play a "Pac-Man" game, |
| that the dosage required to reduce your pain to a | | | | for example, or to play a DVD. Your brain |
| level where you can function normally and remain | | | | perceives these activities as a reward, and with |
| employed can render you just as unfit for | | | | this positive reinforcement, will increasingly choose |
| everyday tasks like driving or operating | | | | to use the desired waves, until eventually the |
| equipment at work. | | | | changes in brain function become permanent. |
| Neurofeedback, on the other hand, has been a | | | | Neurofeedback treatment is noninvasive, |
| godsend for many with fibromyalgia and chronic | | | | comfortable, and considered by many patients to |
| fatigue. In one recent study, seven out of every | | | | be quite relaxing. |
| ten people who were treated with neurofeedback | | | | Hope may be on the horizon for sufferers of |
| in conjunction with EMG and myofascial/cranioscral | | | | fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, because |
| therapy experienced total remission of their | | | | neurofeedback therapy appears to be more |
| symptoms. | | | | promising than many other treatments currently |
| Many patients who are diagnosed with | | | | available for these conditions. |
| fibromyalgia and/or chronic fatigue have a history | | | | |