HEADACHES

Migraines and

Tension Type

Headaches

TENSION TYPE HEADACHES

• A tension headache is generally a diffuse, mild to moderate pain that's often described as feeling like a tight band around your head.

• A tension headache — or tension-type headache as it's medically known — is the most common type of headache, and yet its causes aren't well understood.

TENSION TYPE HEADACHES

• It may feel as if muscle contractions are responsible for your head pain, which is why this type of headache is generally referred to as a tension-type headache, though experts no longer think muscle contractions are the cause.

TENSION TYPE HEADACHES

• Dull, aching head pain• The sensation of tightness or

pressure across your forehead or on the sides and back of your head

• Tenderness on your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles

• Insomnia • Occasionally, loss of appetite

TENSION TYPE HEADACHES

• A tension headache can last from 30 minutes to an entire week.

• You may experience these headaches only occasionally, or nearly all the time.

MIGRAINE HEADACHE

• Although much about the cause of migraines isn't understood, genetics and environmental factors seem to both play a role.

MIGRAINE HEADACHE

• A migraine headache can cause intense throbbing or pulsing in one area of the head and is commonly accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.

• Migraine attacks can cause significant pain for hours to days and be so severe that all you can think about is finding a dark, quiet place to lie down.

MIGRAINE HEADACHE

• Some migraines are preceded or accompanied by sensory warning symptoms (aura), such as flashes of light, blind spots or tingling in your arm or leg.

TENSION VERSUS MIGRAINE HEADACHES

• Tension headaches can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from migraines, but unlike some forms of migraine, tension headache usually isn't associated with visual disturbances (blind spots or flashing lights), nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, weakness or numbness on one side of the body, or slurred speech.

TENSION VERSUS MIGRAINE HEADACHES

• And, while physical activity typically aggravates migraine pain, it doesn't make tension headache pain worse.

• An increased sensitivity to light or sound can occur with a tension headache, but these aren't common symptoms.

THE MEDICAL APPROACH TO HEADACHE

MEDICATIONS

MEDICATIONS FOR TENSION TYPE HEADACHES

• Simple OTC pain relievers are usually the first line of treatment for reducing headache pain.

• These include the drugs aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve).

• Prescription medications include naproxen (Naprosyn), indomethacin (Indocin) and ketorolac (Ketorolac Tromethamine).

MEDICATIONS FOR TENSION TYPE HEADACHES

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) may be less effective in treating tension headache pain, and more likely to cause medication overuse headaches.

• Pain medications don't cure headaches; they just relieve the symptoms temporarily.

• Over time, painkillers and other medications may lose their effectiveness or they might even cause headaches.

MEDICATIONS FOR TENSION TYPE HEADACHES

• All of these medications have possible side effects and long term consequences

• For example, Ibuprofen (Advil) is associated with gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is associated with kidney damage

MEDICATIONS FOR MIGRAINE HEADACHES

• Medications used to combat migraines fall into two broad categories:

– Pain-relieving medications. Also known as acute or abortive treatment, these types of drugs are taken during migraine attacks and are designed to stop symptoms that have already begun.

– Preventive medications. These types of drugs are taken regularly, often on a daily basis, to reduce the severity or frequency of migraines.

MEDICATIONS FOR MIGRAINE HEADACHES

• These medications are typically more powerful than the over the counter medications used for tension headaches

• They also carry more serious side effects and long term consequences

HEADACHEAND

NEUROFEEDBACK

What is Neurofeedback Used For?

Over 40 years of peer reviewed, university based research has demonstrated the

efficacy of neurofeedback in addressing many neurological conditions

ADHD Anxiety Panic Attacks

Insomnia Chronic Pain Bedwetting

Migraine Fibromyalgia TBI

Tension Headache PTSD Depression

Learning Disorders Autism / Asperger’s Tics

As well as other conditions

TREATING HEADACHE WITH NEUROFEEDBACK

• A number of quality studies have been published that show the effectiveness of neurofeedback in alleviating headaches without the use of any medications at all.

• In this study 70% of the participants experienced at least a 50% reduction in severity and frequency of headaches

TREATING HEADACHE WITH NEUROFEEDBACK

• Neurofeedback research is based upon the principle that headaches are connected with what is called hyper-arousal within the brain and central nervous system. This hyper-arousal is bio-electrical, or brainwave based in nature

HEADACHE AND NEUROFEEDBACK

• Mental states are associated with specific brainwaves

• These brainwaves include:

– Delta– Theta– Alpha– Beta

HEAQDACHE AND NEUROFEEDBACK

• Delta and Theta represent the slowest processing speeds and are associated with a twilight state

• Alpha represents a slightly faster processing speed and is associated with quiet wakefulness such as when you meditate

• Beta represents the fastest processing speed and is associated with external focus, thought and concentration

THE AROUSAL SPECTRUMA healthy, regulated brain is able to shift easily between

arousal states as the demands arise

LOW AROUSALSLOWER PROCESSINGDelta and Theta

HIGH AROUSALFASTER PROCESSINGBeta

IDLE STATE OF THE BRAIN

Alpha

OPTIMAL ZONE OF PERFORMANCEThe Brain has an optimal zone of performance

LOW AROUSALSLOWER PROCESSING

HIGH AROUSALFASTER

PROCESSING

IDLE STATE OF THE BRAIN

Depending on the circumstances and everyday demands, the brain may move toward low arousal or high arousal but a well regulated

brain stays within its optimal zone of performance

THE DYSREGULATED BRAIN

UNDER-AROUSED OVER-AROUSEDINHIBITED

• A dysregulated brain has a tendency to habitually operate from one of the 3 arousal states

THE DYSREGULATED BRAINAn individual’s habitual arousal state might be too high or

too low to support optimal function

UNDER-AROUSEDImpulsiveSocially InappropriateHyper-activeEasily DistractedExcessive SpeechDisorganizedHyper-emotional

OVER-AROUSEDExcessive Rationalization

Poor Emotional Self Awareness

WorryHyper-vigilant

Obsessive ThinkingDislike of Change

Restless

INHIBITEDVictim Mentality

Excessive Self ConcernRumination

AngerSelf Deprecation

AgitationIrritability

Passive Aggressive

THE DYSREGULATED BRAINAn individual’s habitual arousal state might be too high or

too low to support optimal function

UNDER-AROUSEDExcessive Delta and Theta

These patients usually present with cognitive impairment, focus and attention issues, ADHD, TBI, dementia, learning disorders

OVER-AROUSEDElevated Beta

These patients usually present with anxiety, panic

attacks, OCD, worry, migraine, tension

headache, chronic pain, insomnia

INHIBITEDElevated Alpha

These patients usually present with symptoms of

depression, irritability, lethargy, fibromyalgia,

metabolic issues

NEUROLOGICAL DYSREGULATION

• Brainwave Imbalance or Neurological Dysregulation may be caused by:– Variations in brain structure– Drugs– Toxins– Poor Nutrition– Subluxation– Trauma– Stress – both physical and emotional

BRAINCORE THERAPY

Painless

Drugless

Non-Invasive

And Has No Side Effects

How is it Done?

All neurofeedback begins by performing a Brain Map

The BrainCore Brain Map

A Brain Map provides us with the information that is required to perform neurofeedback

training

THE BRAINCORE BRAIN MAP REPORT

The BrainCore Brain Mapping software

analyzes thousands of different variables and

compares your patient’s brain map with a

database of normal brain maps to produce a

the Brain Map report

THE BRAINCORE BRAIN MAP REPORT

The BrainCore Brain Map Report provides the neurofeedback

protocols that will be used during the neurofeedback

training

HOW IS NEUROFEEDBACK DONE

Individuals are hooked up to a computer using wires and sensors and the computer reads

their brainwaves

Information about these brainwaves is displayed on the doctors monitor

The software automatically detects when the brainwaves are properly ordered and it feeds

that information back to the patient

This feedback appears in the form of a game, movie, or sound which signals the patient that the brainwaves are becoming more ordered

Rollercoaster Video

DVD’s and Movies

40

When you have information on what your brain waves are

doing, your brain can use that information to

change how it works.

THE BIG IDEA:

Learning Is Permanent

• Once we learn something it becomes a permanent part of our behavior.

• Follow up studies in neurofeedback show that the effects continue for up to 30 years.

How Long Does it Take to Get Results?

• Trainees typically come for 20 sessions of training.• Trainees come twice a week or more.• Each session is 30-45 minutes long.• They typically begin to see changes in about 5 to 8 sessions

NEUROFEEDBACK IS BASED IN OVER 40 YEARS

OF CLINICAL RESEARCH PROVING IT’S EFFICACY

In fact, Dr Frank H. Duffy, a Professor and Pediatric Neurologist at Harvard

Medical School, stated that

“Neurofeedback should play a major therapeutic role in many difficult areas. In my opinion, if any

medication had demonstrated such a wide spectrum of efficacy it would be universally

accepted and widely used”

BRAINCORE THERAPY

QUESTIONS

A GIFT