| Imagine waking up every day of your life in so | | | | through the day. For those with fibromyalgia, the |
| much pain that the only thing you can think of is a | | | | pain can be so severe that only heavy-duty |
| scalding hot shower and the pills that your doctor | | | | painkillers such as Vicodin or morphine-based drugs |
| has you on to relieve the pain so that you can | | | | are necessary to help the patient lead a semi |
| get through another day of misery. This is the life | | | | normal life. |
| of the person who suffers from fibromyalgia. | | | | The Alternative |
| Many move through their existence not sure if | | | | While neurofeedback therapy has still not received |
| they can take another day of either the endless | | | | the amount of mainstream and media attention |
| pain or the drugs that leave them pain free but | | | | that many other therapies have, studies have |
| unable to function. A new therapy called | | | | shown that when used side by side with either |
| neurofeedback, however, has been successful in | | | | EMG or myofascial/cranioscral therapy, seven out |
| alleviating such symptoms for many fibromyalgia | | | | of ten patients were able to enjoy complete and |
| sufferers. | | | | total remission of all of their symptoms. That is |
| Too Tired to Care | | | | correct; one hundred percent remission off all |
| Dr. Mark Loveless, head of the AIDS and Chronic | | | | symptoms; this means being able to finally enjoy |
| Fatigue Syndrome Clinic at Oregon Health | | | | life again both pain and drug free. |
| Sciences University, in 1995 testimony at a | | | | These results are not surprising to neurofeedback |
| congressional briefing, noted that a "Chronic | | | | therapists. Many therapists have found that a |
| Fatigue Syndrome patient feels effectively the | | | | large percentage of their patients with either |
| same every day as an AIDS patient feels two | | | | fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome have |
| months before death." | | | | suffered some form of head injury during their |
| Chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS, can create a | | | | lifetime. Once the brain has been injured, it can |
| sense of despair in those who have struggled | | | | become difficult for it to transition smoothly from |
| with it for years. If you have CFS, you may | | | | one brainwave frequency to the next. This means |
| spend every waking moment so utterly | | | | that the brain is essentially "stuck in gear." If that |
| exhausted that all you can manage to do in a day | | | | gear happens to be one of fear or stress the |
| are the essentials required to keep yourself alive, | | | | patient is likely to end up feeling constantly |
| and you just look forward to going to bed at the | | | | exhausted; if it is stuck in the pain mode, as in |
| end of the day. This condition, however, is | | | | the case of injury, fibromyalgia may result. |
| another area where using neurofeedback | | | | By far one of the most effective methods of |
| treatment may make a significant difference. | | | | getting the brainwaves back under control and |
| One of the worst things about these disorders is | | | | help to shift the brain out of the patterns in which |
| the fact that many doctors, having completed a | | | | it is trapped, is neurofeedback therapy because it |
| physical exam and found nothing wrong, simply tell | | | | teaches the patient how take control of their |
| their patients that it's all in their head, and simply | | | | brainwaves and manipulate them to achieve |
| keep them full of medications so they can get | | | | complete relaxation. |