Do migraines keep you from living life fully?
If so, you’re not alone. 39 million Americans feel your pain. If you suffer from migraines, you know the impact they can have on you. Episodes of intense pain, nausea, and sensitivity to sounds, light, and smells can make it difficult to fully engage in daily activities. The good news is migraines can be alleviated, or at the very least, managed. The suffering can end. And even better, it is possible to stop the recurrence of migraines without relying on prescription medications that often come with their own set of side effects -- and fail to address the root cause of the issue.
One of Many Success Stories:
“I can’t remember the last time I had a migraine,” says a client I will refer to as “Sandra.” Sandra suffered from frequent migraines - at least once a month - since childhood. She experienced her last migraine over a year and a half ago, soon after starting neurofeedback. But the absence of migraines isn’t the only benefit Sandra has received through ISF Neurofeedback and Brain Light Therapy, Sandra no longer suffers from sleep disturbances or constipation, and she feels less anxious than she has felt “in my lifetime.”
How Migraines Impact the Brain
Migraines are more than just intense headaches - they can leave a lasting impact on brain structure and function:
Abnormal Brain Activity: Dysfunction of neurons can cause unusual sensory responses, like flashes of light or tingling.
Structural Changes: Changes in the volume of white and gray matter in the brain, often involving lesions or tissue damage, with evidence suggesting that migraines may contribute to the brain damage.
Cognitive Challenges: Difficulty with memory, concentration and motor control are common.
Increased Health Risks: People with migraines face a higher risk of stroke and dementia.
Neurotransmitter Imbalances: These imbalances can disrupt brain function and cognition.
Chronic inflammation: Inflammation further hinders brain function.
Cortical Spreading Depression: This slowed wave of electrical activity in the brain can slow thinking and make it difficult to find words, similar to what’s seen in strokes and brain injuries.
Connectivity Issues: Neuroimaging reveals reduced connections between critical brain regions, including those involved in pain processing, sleep and breathing.
The Good News?
With the right treatments, including cutting edge natural interventions, like Transcranial Photobiomodulation (also referred to as tPBM or Brain Light Therapy) and Infraslow Neurofeedback, there is hope!
Transcranial Photobiomodulation or Brain Light Therapy has been shown to reduce the chronic inflammation in the brain caused by migraines, repair damaged cells and create new cells.
Infraslow Neurofeedback targets the brain’s underlying instabilities which cause migraines. This totally non-invasive process helps the brain learn patterns of brain activity and stabilizes the patterns. In addition, dysregulations and connectivity issues between regions of the brain are addressed. While each brain is unique and responds differently, the expectation is that even if migraines don’t disappear completely, they will decrease in intensity and frequency over time.
Unlike traditional medications, these therapies work to address the root causes of migraines rather than just masking the symptoms. Brain Light Therapy (tPBM) and Neurofeedback are both non-invasive, natural treatments without side effects.
The Downside of Prescription Medications
“But my meds already help my migraines,” you may be thinking. And yes, they may help, but at what cost? These medications often come with their own set of side effects, ranging from dizziness to nausea, fatigue, constipation, depression, weight gain, and even cognitive impairment. Although for many people, the symptoms are relieved, the root cause does not get repaired. Much like self-medicating emotional pain with alcohol or drugs, it doesn’t solve the problem.
Botox injections have become a common treatment for migraines, with some seeing relief through muscle paralysis. For many, it may seem like a win-win: the loss of wrinkles and migraines for the price of one. Yet did you know that a QEEG, which shows a map of the brains patterns, detects a brain with Botox because of the slowed activity?
Botox can have its own set of negative effects:’
Ability to travel far from the injection site, affecting the nervous system.
Impaired Sensory Information Processing, impacting the ability to read/interpret facial expressions, communicate emotions and show empathy.
Concentration problems and memory issues.
A possible risk of permanent changes to the brain and increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases is being researched.
Side effects of muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing or breathing and vision changes.
Why Not Go Au Natural!
Why trade one symptom for another when the root cause can be addressed naturally – without introducing yet another symptom? At BrainGain SRQ, we offer what has been a true solution for many people. At BrainGain SRQ, you are in the care of a Board Certified Neurofeedback Clinician who is certified in Photo-Neuro-Modulation.
If you want a solution that is non-invasive, medication-free and pain-free, call 941-780-1000 today to explore how innovative therapies can transform your well-being!
Ready to start a new beginning?
Contact the office at (941)780-1000 or fill out the form to request more information.
Sources:
Frontiers | Association between brain structures and migraine: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study
Causal relationships between cortical brain structural alterations and migraine subtypes: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study of 2,347 neuroimaging phenotypes | The Journal of Headache and Pain | Full Text
How and why does photobiomodulation change brain activity? - PMC
Migraine and Light Therapy: Exploring Photobiomodulation - Migraine Buddy
How Botox affects the brain - SWI swissinfo.ch
Studies show botox injections impact the brain - NeuroLife
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/acn3.21/p
Stokes, D. A., & Lappin, M. (2010) Neurofeedback and biofeedback with 37 migraineurs: a clinical outcome study. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 6(9)