Medications Aren’t The Only Option

 

As the Opioid Crisis shook the public’s view of painkillers and pharmaceutical companies came under fire for their marketing practices, many patients looked for alternatives. One of the leading contenders; talk therapy.

Psychologists, therapists, and social workers have become a crucial part of pain treatment programs, proving to be as effective or more so than medication. Still, finding the right pain counseling can take effort.

Many pain psychologists treat chronic pain with cognitive behavior therapy (which focuses on reframing thoughts to positively affect behavior and emotions) or mindfulness (which involves learning to become conscious of feelings without reacting to them). Acceptance and commitment therapy combines C.B.T. and mindfulness to help patients accept their emotions and respond to them. Another method is biofeedback, which monitors patients’ muscle tension, heart rate, brain activity, or other functions to make them aware of their stress and help them learn to control it. And some clinicians use hypnosis, which can be effective at managing pain for some people. What unifies all these treatments is a focus on teaching patients how they can use their minds to manage their pain.

Large medical centers and boutique practices are more likely to have comprehensive pain treatment but tend to be in urban areas. People in rural areas or those who can’t afford the services get left out, said Rachel Aaron, an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins Medicine. But even in cities, not all large medical networks have pain services.

If you are interested in trying a pain therapist, Dr. Aaron said, the first stop should be your primary care doctor. Some insurance plans cover pain psychology, but others do not. It’s important to talk to a mental health provider first about how to get treatment covered.

After that, look for specialized pain clinics by calling hospitals in your area or use the Find a Therapist function on the Psychology Today website.

Some experts recommend working with licensed professionals with doctorates or master’s degrees in psychology or clinical social work with additional training in chronic pain, and to interview them about their training and approach before getting started. Most important, you should feel comfortable enough to open up with them.

More info :  Medications Aren’t The Only Option

Most ADHD Children have the Problem as Adults

 

ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder) is often thought of as a problem of childhood – but 90 percent go on to suffer symptoms as adults, such as speaking impulsively, or not being able to make decisions.

It’s important for people to recognize that ADHD carries on into adulthood, and there will be times when a person can’t manage situations or feels less in control, said researchers from the University of Washington School of Medicine.

It was thought that half of all children diagnosed with ADHD would still suffer from it as adults, but the Washington researchers estimate the true figure is much higher and could be as high as 90 percent of cases.

They followed the health of 558 children when they were eight and until they reached the age of 25. All the children had been diagnosed with ADHD.

The researchers aren’t sure why ADHD symptoms flare up in adulthood but suspect it could be related to stress or not following a healthy lifestyle of good nutrition and sleep. Symptoms come and go, the researchers found, and many in the study group had worked out their own coping mechanisms.

Adults with ADHD are much more likely to be in a creative profession. “The key is finding a job or life passion that is compatible with ADHD. You are going to see a lit of creative people who have ADHD, whereas ADHD people who may be required to do very detail-oriented tasks at a computer will find it very difficult,” said Margaret Sibley, one of the researchers.

ADHD has two main clusters of symptoms: inattention can manifest as disorganization, forgetfulness, or having trouble focusing, while those who are more hyperactive can be verbally impulsive, indecisive, compulsive when they grow up.

More info :  Most ADHD Children have the Problem as Adults

What is LENS? How can it work for me? | Lens Neurofeedback Sleepy Hollow NY

 

LENS – or Low Energy Neurofeedback System– is an advanced form of brain technology or EEG biofeedback for adults and children – so-called, because it uses a tiny signal, hundreds of times smaller than your cell phone, that your brain is attracted to, and which enables it to reboot and reset in a beneficial way to optimize function.

For those suffering from Anxiety, Depression, children and adults with ADHD, Chronic Pain, Head Injury, Sleep and a range of neurological issues – as well as for those experiencing stress, emotional reactivity, ‘brain fog’, struggling to cope – LENS can help.

The LENS has brought fast relief to many, and clinical studies indicate that, with this drug-free approach, results tend to be lasting. It is a gentle, passive approach, user-friendly, requiring no effort, quick to administer – ideal for young or fidgety patients.

The LENS model is based on disentertainment, freeing up ‘stuck’ or dysregulated brainwave patterns from prolonged stress and other conditions. It is a customized training as well as a treatment, with the functional review of progress over a course of treatment. Results can be seen in as little as 6 sessions, typically within 10-20 sessions, depending on severity, the onset of symptoms, and other factors.

The LENS is appealing for those seeking relief from neurological conditions; for those who don’t do well with medications and are dissatisfied with more traditional methods; for those interested in more holistic approaches, to health and wellness; as well as executives, test-takers, sportspersons, performing artists, and all those who seek to optimize their daily functioning.

 More Info : What is LENS? How can it work for me?

Some Surprisingly Good News About Anxiety | Mindcare center

 Everyone suffers from fear and anxiety at some point in time. People can be anxious without knowing why. Anxiety usually stems from founded or unfounded fears, or apprehension of what may or may not occur in the future. These triggering of alarms are often coming from the amygdale – a marble-sized sub-cort ical organ in the brain.

“The harder I try, the worst result I get!” Have you ever came across this thought? It can be a frustrating experience that leads to suffering from chronic worry, social anxiety disorder, or phobias.

However, you can use these uncertain times as an opportunity for personal growth and stability. Below are few strategies which can help you to deal with anxiety.

• Build your pain tolerance: Stop overthinking and worrying about everything. Accepting the fact that there is usually a solution for every problem is a great idea. People who are not capable of tolerating their stress drain their coping abilities, often leading to harmful strategies, such as self-medicating with drugs.

• The actual threat may be less than the imagined: The fear of the unknown magnifies the anxiety, whereas searching for what is the known can help to diminish it.

• Breath into it: Slow, full inhalation, exhalation in the abdomen / lower back, known as diaphragmatic breathing, is used by many, to effectively alleviate anxiety, and bring tranquility.

• Moving the body: Can shift your mood, energize, promote mental clarity, dispel ruminating thoughts. Escape the inertia of sedentary living and engage in healthy distraction.

• Strengthen your connection: Studies say that talking with others and making your social connection stronger, can help you to find answers to your questions. Try to make things real by engaging in casual conversations. It will definitely help you get a better understanding and way to approach a particular issue with other people.

• Be more accepting of yourself: Many of you might be going through a phase where you think that you are too fat or too thin, or other self-image issues.. Don’t let your opinion determine your state of mind.

• It is very important to remember that everyone has struggled to balance their life. Try to take a break and accept your shortcomings, adopt a concept called self-sympathy. Keep in mind what one can be grateful for, and reach out to comfort the vulnerable, those in worse circumstances.

If you know someone who is suffering from anxiety and fear, let them know that they don’t need to live in their pain. There are various successful treatments that can save a person’s relationships, career, and self-confidence, such as counseling – person-to-person or via teletherapy –  and EEG biofeedback. Adopt a healthier lifestyle and cultivate positive thinking – the half-full glass –as a daily practice. Why not take the first step today?

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Have chronic pain? What you need to know about your pain management options

 

Everyone deals with pain at one time or another. Perhaps you’ve temporarily suffered from a cluster or tension headache, or a muscle spasm.

Pain that lasts for two months or longer can be called Chronic Pain. Chronic Pain, often stress-related, can feel like it is bodily pain, localized or generalized, but mostly it’s generated by misfiring pain circuits in the brain. For some, the cause is arthritis or other health condition, such as Fibromyalgia, a muscular-skeletal disorder, often causing pain receptors to go into hyperdrive. Ignoring this kind of pain can have dangerous consequences, and can lead to many other problems, such as:

• Impact your daily activities
• Sleep disturbance, disruption of regular eating habits
• Make it difficult to focus
• Can lead to Anxiety and Depression
• Detract from quality time with friends and family

Those with Chronic Pain describe symptoms in various ways, as aching, burning, shooting, squeezing, stiffness, stinging, or throbbing. Living with Chronic Pain can be emotionally and physically challenging.

There are various kinds of treatment approaches that can help with pain management:

• Prescription drugs are used to treat several kinds of severe pain, but they can be highly addictive. Users tend to replicate with higher doses to obtain the same desired effect.
• Corticosteroids work by reducing the immune system’s inflammatory response. But there can be various side effects, such as difficulty sleeping, weight gain, high blood sugar.
• Short term counselling may reduce the reaction to chronic pain.
• Physical therapy: various meds including antidepressants are used to treat pain
• Other methods include medication, Yoga and EEG Biofeedback, which, it is suggested, should be performed safely by a professional therapist. EEG Biofeedback – Neurofeedback – can alter control of pain by altering connectivity between brain regions, thus bringing lasting changes in neuronal networks.

LENS Neurofeedback is used to treat Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Migraine. Biofeedback measures physiological activity (Autonomic Nervous System), which includes heartbeat, breathing, muscle activity, skin temperature – a monitoring system, leading to changes in thinking and emotional control processes.

More Info :  Have chronic pain? What you need to know about your pain management options

What is LENS? How can it work for me?

LENS – or Low Energy Neurofeedback System– is an advanced form of brain technology or EEG biofeedback for adults and children – so-called, because it uses a tiny signal, hundreds of times smaller than your cell phone, that your brain is attracted to, and which enables it to reboot and reset in a beneficial way to optimize function.

For those suffering from Anxiety, Depression, children and adults with ADHD, Chronic Pain, Head Injury, Sleep and a range of neurological issues – as well as for those experiencing stress, emotional reactivity, ‘brain fog’, struggling to cope – LENS can help.

The LENS has brought fast relief to many, and clinical studies indicate that, with this drug-free approach, results tend to be lasting. It is a gentle, passive approach, user-friendly, requiring no effort, quick to administer – ideal for young or fidgety patients.

The LENS model is based on disentertainment, freeing up ‘stuck’ or dysregulated brainwave patterns from prolonged stress and other conditions. It is a customized training as well as a treatment, with the functional review of progress over a course of treatment. Results can be seen in as little as 6 sessions, typically within 10-20 sessions, depending on severity, the onset of symptoms, and other factors.

The LENS is appealing for those seeking relief from neurological conditions; for those who don’t do well with medications and are dissatisfied with more traditional methods; for those interested in more holistic approaches, to health and wellness; as well as executives, test-takers, sportspersons, performing artists, and all those who seek to optimize their daily functioning.

Lens Neurofeedback Training

 

The LENS – Low Energy Neurofeedback System – is an advanced technique that uses a faint electromagnetic field, like those around digital watches, to carry a tiny feedback stimulus to the brain of its own brainwaves, enabling it to reset and restore optimal brain function. This feedback signal lasting less than a second – carried via extremely small radio frequencies – mirrors, but slightly differs from, the person’s own dominant frequency. This slight change, or offset from the EEG software, sets up a brief fluctuation in brainwave patterns, allowing dysfunctional ones to correct themselves. Advances in neuroscience show that the brain’s ability to change, structurally and functionally – called neuroplasticity – allows brainwaves, ‘stuck’ in defensive modes against prolonged trauma or prolonged stress, to release and self-adjust. This feedback process can facilitate the brain’s ability to rebalance, self-regulate, become less reactive to stressors. As such, it is not a medical device, but an educational tool for somatic re-education and relaxation. The LENS uses disentrainment to help the brain to re-organize, and reconnect with itself, rather than treat specific neurological conditions, though in the process, conditions may improve. This unique system was developed in the early 1990s by Dr Len Ochs, a pioneer in the field of neurofeedback. Unlike traditional neurofeedback methods, the LENS Neurofeedback approach produces measurable changes in the brainwaves without requiring conscious effort from the patient. The feedback to the patient travels down the same wires carrying the brainwaves to the amplifier and the computer. The LENS software allows the signals recorded at the scalp to control the feedback.

A LENS TREATMENT SESSION

The LENS is gentle and user friendly. The patient simply sits quietly, eyes closed. Sensors are placed on each ear and one on the head, which is moved around to measure the brain’s electrical activity at each site. Delivery of feedback treatment per site is in a fraction of a second, and timed precisely. Customized protocols are derived from matching treatment to the dominant frequency of the individual’s brainwaves, and typically involve covering multiple sites that follow a brain map. The LENS uses a topographic mapping process with 19-21 sites common to other neurofeedback systems, but differs, by using other choices in selecting sensor site sequences. Changes in brainwave patterns are tracked weekly and in remapping. Through ongoing evaluation using the LENS, reviewing weekly observations and issues with the patient, and with an individualized treatment plan, symptoms can be resolved more quickly and effectively.

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Reducing Ruinous Costs with Biofeedback and other Alternative Therapies

Three-quarters of our healthcare spending is on chronic conditions, including cancer, heart disease depression, and chronic pain – for which self-care is best suited.

‘Inexpensive self-care strategies or alternative therapies might address the underlying biological and psychological imbalances that contribute to chronic conditions – including nutrition, exercise and mind-body techniques like biofeedback, meditation and guided mental imagery’- sad James S. Gordon, MD, then a researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health, forty years ago.

Since then research in alternative therapies has shown that ‘mind-body approaches reduce stress and improve mood and immunity, decrease blood pressure in hypertensives, blood sugar in diabetics and pain.’

Neurofeedback or EEG Biofeedback, in training self-regulation of the Autonomic Nervous System, has been shown to be effective in stress reduction and relief for many neurological conditions, including Anxiety, Depression, Chronic Pain, and Trauma.

‘What was unexamined and ‘alternative’ 40 years ago is now well researched… f we are going to reduce our ruinous costs and improve our declining national health, we must make self-care and group support central to all care.’

— James S. Gordon, psychiatrist, director of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine and was chairman of the White House Commission on Complementary And Alternative Medicine Policy appointed by President Bill Clinton, From a New York Science Times article ‘Invitation to a Dialogue: Alternative Therapies, May 14, 2014.