What if you could get rid of your migraines or headaches without taking pain killers? What if a treatment existed for anxiety, insomnia, or depression with few or no side effects? Or what if learning troubles or concentration difficulties could resolve without stimulants? What if there was a way to look at the brain and decide what the problem is? For 60 years, neurofeedback therapy has been a safe and effective treatment for these and other conditions. I use LENS neurofeedback, a powerful and fast treatment that has helped thousands of people worldwide with moods, behavioral challenges, learning difficulties, and neurological problems. How does this work? Let’s look into what is LENS neurofeedback.
What is Neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback is a simple procedure that allows the brain to balance itself which resolves many different conditions. Invented in the late 1950s/early 1960s by researchers at UCLA, neurofeedback is a way to retrain the brain. It helps the brain work more efficiently through the measurement and changing of brainwaves. Many of my patients have found greater concentration, improved their sleep, increased confidence, decreased pain and anxiety, and normalize moods through neurofeedback.
Two general types of neurofeedback exist, traditional and LENS. Traditional neurofeedback is similar to playing a video game with your brain. The practitioner places electrical leads on the patient that are attached to a computer. The person watches a screen and using their brains control an object on the monitor. If the person uses the type of brainwaves that the clinician sets as the reward, then the object on the screen moves faster. But if the patient uses the wrong kind of brainwaves, then the object slows down. The patient learns to control their brains to use the appropriate waves. Over the course of 30-60 sessions, the person begins to be able to do this without the need for training. It becomes second nature.
Other forms of this exist. For people who can’t handle visual input, there might be a vibrating object that they hold. The point is that there is a reward/punishment system in place based on different types of brainwaves. The patient is rewarded for brainwaves that are “desirable” and punished for those that aren’t.
LENS Neurofeedback
But that isn’t the type of neurofeedback that I practice. I use a specific form of neurofeedback called LENS neurofeedback or Low Energy Neurofeedback System. Whereas traditional neurofeedback therapy retrains the brain via a reward/punishment system, LENS works off the concept of brain plasticity. Our brains continuously create new connections, learning new skills, or reinforcing old beliefs. The idea that brains stop developing is a misnomer as neurons continually build new circuitry. New input creates new connections. It is said that neurons that fire together, wire together. LENS causes neurons to fire and rewire together.
Our minds can get into ruts, creating the same patterns over and over again. Instead of reinforcing old models, LENS seems to encourage the brain to create something different. It helps us to think differently. I liken the mechanism of LENS to the mind holding a mirror up to itself, sees what it is doing, and then adjusts itself. Research suggests that LENS allows for broken neural connections to reform, enabling symptoms to disappear and improve cognitive function.
Why I love LENS Neurofeedback for Patients
What I love about LENS though is how fast it can work. It only takes a couple of minutes to get significant effects. I can work with many patients who might not otherwise be able to receive treatment for various reasons. Maybe they can’t watch a screen or sit still long enough. There’s also no need for a conscious effort by the patient. They merely sit quietly. I have worked with severely disabled people, autistic and hyperactive children this way. And I have worked with adults with many different problems. And generally, we know within five to ten sessions if it’s going to work at all.
I possess over ten years of experience using LENS, receiving extensive training from the inventor of the system Len Ochs. Thousands of patients have seen improvement in their lives. They have eased the symptoms of ADD/ADHD, OCD, RAD, migraines, insomnia, headaches, post-concussion issues, depression, PTSD, anxiety, and many other conditions. I look forward to assisting you or your loved one today. I only do LENS in Honolulu, Hawaii. Please call my office today to schedule an appointment.
