interesting blog on brain injury – the post is relavent to neurology on lots of levels. Good links to sites.
Examining the influence of polymorphisms on TBI outcome has the potential to contribute to an understanding of variations in TBI outcome, aid in the triaging and treatment of TBI patients, and ultimately lead to targeted interventions based on genetic profiles.
Thank-you to http://ahmritanaturalmentalhealth.wordpress.com/ for this very interesting guest post. 🙂
Neurofeedback is a treatment which has evolved from Biofeedback. Many of you would have heard about this concept:
| “…is a process that enables an individual to learn how to change physiological activity for the purposes of improving health and performance. Precise instruments measure physiological activity such as brainwaves, heart function, breathing, muscle activity, and skin temperature. These instruments rapidly and accurately ‘feed back’ information to the user. The presentation of this information — often in conjunction with changes in thinking, emotions, and behavior — supports desired physiological changes. Over time, these changes can endure without continued use of an instrument.” Three professional biofeedback organizations, the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (AAPB), Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA), and the International Society for Neurofeedback and Research (ISNR), arrived at a consensus definition of biofeedback in 2008.Read more here |
The concept of Biofeedback has been practised for time immemorial by Yoga and Pranayama students and masters. Here in the west it has developed to its current form since the late 50’s and was very popular in the 80’s. Since then it has sadly somewhat disappeared from the popular radar again, as do so many worthy and non invasive natural therapies. Mostly due to funding issues in the ever ongoing effort of pharmaceutical companies to suppress what would outshine their products.
But back to topic – Neurofeedback – “Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback that uses electroencephalography or fMRI to provide a signal that can be used by a person to receive feedback about brain activity.”
Research so far has been working in particular to prove its worth as a treatment of epilepsy, autism, headaches, insomnia, addiction problems and more, but its benefits can be felt by anyone who has suffered an emotional trauma.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurofeedback
However, you do not need to be diagnosed with a medical condition to benefit from this treatment, as it is designed to optimize brain function.
Like many I became aware of the biofeedback movement in the late 80’s, but never did much with it. By chance a friend of mine gave me a rather large voucher for a bookstore in 2007. One of the titles I bought was:
“The Healing Power of Neurofeedback”, (2006), by Stephen Larsen Ph.D. Healing Arts Press.
Which humbly and quietly sat in my bookshelf for three years, until I was hunting for something new to read during semester break. What I found in this book had me totally spell bound, a treatment called LENS Technique, developed by Len Ochs.
After several hours of googling, I found a practitioner in Melbourne, who had recently migrated from Germany. I booked myself in for six treatments, which was explained to me as a usual course of treatment. Even though, the cost was not outrageous, I could instantly see, that it would be out of reach of exactly the majority of the population needing it – no medicare funding!
At the time stress levels in my life were approaching frantic on the stress meter, due to work, study and family commitments. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Well I was turning into a bit of a sleep deprived grouch 🙂
What I experienced even after the first treatment was sensational (and lasting)– I became acutely aware of all the tension in my body; that I was holding a pen like a sword, my shoulders had taken up position at ear level and my breathing was shallow. By the time I got home after an hours city driving, I was in total and utter relaxation – of the ragdoll kind, but aware and alert, I felt fantastically at peace. I would recommend it to everyone!
Since, I found another practitioner of Neurofeedback – Dr. Shum, the Psychiatrist in Australia who has also helped develop Subconscious Freedom Technique
http://au.blurb.com/search/site_search?search=Subconscious+Freedom+Therapy
During LENS treatments you sit relaxed in a comfy chair, the practitioner connects several tiny electrodes and you can keep an eye on your heart and breathing rate on a screen. While treatment was going on I was watching a lot of David Attenborough nature documentaries, which I found helped the relaxation tremendously. At no point was there any discomfort or difficulty. The positive outcomes kept piling up, I was able to relax again, sleep better, manage my workload better and generally felt a fair bit more human friendly, which is a big plus when you work in Mental Health.
I would really like to encourage you to get the book, have a look at the websites and contact a practitioner in your area – no amount of me raving on about how greatly it helped me can substitute having your own experience.
Ahmrita’s blog is based at http://ahmritanaturalmentalhealth.wordpress.com/
for further information on nautral mental health many topics.
My meditation,no more medication
Food for thought
Not good for contemplation,
Is life not hard enough without demotivation?
Difficult to see through fog
A path is hard to find,
The mind becomes a quagmire
I am lost and I am blind.
Challenged pharmaceutically
Is blood thicker than water?
The memory of what went before
Impressed upon a daughter
Given up biology
A need to go much smaller,
The head confined into a cell
It takes time to walk taller.
Where did I go wrong?
Prison is not the place to dwell,
For ignorance is only bliss
When not in living hell.
Physics shone like a blinding light
For the answer was inside,
My knight in shining armour
Now there’s no place left to hide.
Mind and body reunited
A homeopath was my guide
The soul is not a cell I feel
As a whole I now reside.
Thank you http://mariangray.co.uk/ I’v been accepted onto Acupucture course – you did a good job hunny, hope you enjoy seeing the world.
Wales National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS) – Cynllun Atgufeirio Cleifion I Wneud ymarfer Corff Cymru
Thank you once again to my ‘Yoga I Bawb’ teacher Alyson for pressing a guest blog from me in relation to health. If you are interested in reading it is at:
http://alysonyoga.wordpress.com/2013/01/09/yoga-for-weight-loss-and-peace-guest-post/
I thought that this would be a good opportunity to draw people’s attention to the Welsh Government scheme Wales National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS). Aimed at 17 years of age and over, who are not used to being regularly physically active and have a medical condition, the scheme is designed to provide opportunities to exercise that are fun; rewarding and that can be incorporated into every-day life.
It consists of a wide range of activities both gym based and class based to choose from for patients that have been through a rehabilitation programmes. The benefits are listed as weight management, reduction of blood pressure, reduced risk of heart disease and strokes, reduction of cancer risk, reduced stress and anxiety, improve mental and social wellbeing, increased energy, improve strength, mobility, co-ordination and balance and improved health and wellbeing.
The link for information is: http://www.wlga.gov.uk/ners
To be referred you need to approach your GP/practice nurse/health professional. Give it a go!
I have not had experience of this scheme myself but would be interested to hear from people with any feedback that they would like to share.
Perhaps there is a similar project helping people with health conditions through exercise in your area?
some of you may be interested in making a contribution to this post about ‘abiltiy’ or ‘disability’. I know I am.
Hi Readers
Playing devil’s advocate today…
I recently gave a session on autoethnography and reflexive writing at Sheffield Hallam and I included several examples of autoethnography of my own. One example was some reflexion I had done during the Paralympics. Someone suggested I put it in a blog to encourage debate:
‘So the past month has been about planning, and watching the olympics and paralympics, which have really got me thinking about disabilities – in fact it is not about disability but all about ability. Even the language used is interesting – political correctness talks about people of restricted height for example, but paralympics talk about dwarfism. Language is much more direct, honest and matter of fact. Is PC for the benefit of the ‘inflicted’ or is it to make the public feel more empathetic to individuals’ feelings? Do we worry too much about upsetting people?
One amputee…
View original post 165 more words
This post is inspired by the blog: http://dragonandrose.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/epilepsy-classical-music/
Another area around music and brain caught my eye today.
Eduardo Miranda (1) is featured in the BBC report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20799961
for his work in Brain Computer interfaces(2).
His research at Plymouth university (3) where ‘music’ meets ‘avatar’, is funded to breakdown Beethoven’s seventh symphony and reinterpret the music on a computer as heard by 3 individuals, a ballerina, a gulf war veteran and Dr Miranda himself.(4)
All the subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning to take pictures of the emotional responses to the music in the brain so that they could be reapplied to the 2nd movement of Beethoven’s 7th symphony.
Listening to the BBC report is fascinating, as you can hear the difference between the ballerina’s more jerky interpretation of the music (Dr Miranda puts this down to her possible use of body movement in interpretation of music), whereas Dr Miranda’s version is more fluid and different instruments are more audible, he thinks this is because he hears it as someone who plays the piano.
The brain computer interface has also been used by Dr Miranda’s team to help someone with ‘locked in syndrome’ (5) to make music from their brainwaves. Electrodes trigger music from the brainwaves.
The results are a bit weird, but they are wonderful, and Dr Miranda hopes to utilise the technology to perhaps invent a prescription of musical health for people suffering from depression and other emotional health problems, by identifying patterns of brain waves and changing them.
Maybe one day this will even help epilepsy?!
Some basic information about brainwave states can be found at:
http://www.doctorhugo.org/brainwaves/brainwaves.html
As well as some information about Neurofeedback Therapy which has already been used to treat epilepsy as well as migraine, autism, sleep deregulation and others at:
http://www.projectchilld.com/10.html
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduardo_Reck_Miranda
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain-computer_interface
(3) http://neuromusic.soc.plymouth.ac.uk/
(4) http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/23/music-writing-computer
(5) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locked-in_syndrome
more about recovery, this time recovery from mental illness which is not given enought advertising or promotion. A lovely post from a mental health advocate about a mental health advocate.
I have found the link to this video in my spam folder, boy am I glad I checked it out. The message of Hope and Recovery from a Mental Illness Diagnosis from someone who has lived it, is a ‘must share’ to encourage everyone not to give up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_FolgAZ3YuU
S = SPEECH, or any problems with language
T = TINGLING, or any numbness in the body
R = REMEMBER, or any problems with memory
O =OFF BALANCE, problems with coordination
K = KILLER HEADACHE
E = EYES, or any problems with vision
Stoke is a medical emergency call 911 US or 999 UK
I first saw Jill Bolte Taylor on TED talks. I was captivated by her moving insight into how she as a neuroanatomist perceived the experience of having a stoke. How it had given her access to the right side of her brain.
Last week I was in a book shop and saw her book ‘My stroke of insight, A brain scientists personal journey’(1). I saw her name on the cover and immediately realising it was written by this lady from the TED talk I purchased the book.
There is something very reassuring about reading about other people’s brain experiences. It really helps to make sense of mine.
Having a person with intimate knowledge of the architecture of the mind, talk step by step through what parts stop working and how the symptoms are interpreted is very helpful. It has assisted in my own understanding of what could possibly be causing changes in awareness and ability.
The most important part of the book for anyone to read and understand is about how she recovered.
Jill became a neuroscientist because her brother had schizophrenia. She wanted to understand why and I think also to see if there was a cure.
At 37 she had a stroke.
It took her 8 years to get back to where she was pre- stroke, the only brain cells that were completely destroyed by the stroke were her mathematics cells. Despite this she had to re-learn everything.
There were several parts of her recovery that resonated highly with me.
First, she emphasised how important it is to honour the body’s need to sleep and just sleep when she needs to.
Second, that one of her greatest lessons was how to feel the physical component of emotion.
Jill was experiencing sensory overload after her stoke. Everything was overwhelming, light, noise , other people.
Because Jill was recovering she was learning how to deal with these emotions for the first time and had to learn to choose how to deal with them. If she didn’t like the way it felt she chose not to let it back into her neural loops. She says paying attention to what emotions feel like has completely shaped her recovery. She realised she was in charge of how she chose to perceive her experience. Little Windmill posted a really good story about Alexander the great and a yogi and anger which illustrates this; http://littlewindmillyoga.com/2012/12/05/alexander-the-great-meets-a-yogi/
In relation to medication, post- surgery she had to take Dilantin for 2 years afterwards in case she had a seizure. Her biggest complaint about this was that she didn’t know what it felt like to be ‘me’ anymore and says that she is more sensitive to why some people would choose insanity over the side effects of antipsychotic medications.
Physically, she talks about the importance of exercising her muscle groups, walking , massage and acupuncture treatment which helped her to identify her physical boundaries. One of the side effects of her stroke was that she felt ‘fluid’ and very much a part of the universe.
The part of this story that is most important is that Jill shows you can recover from a stroke.
It is not necessary to experience a stroke to find inner peace. We can choose left or right brain talk, and although she acknowledges that in cases of serious mental illness this may not be possible, I am very much behind her on her mission that choosing inner peace is an idea worth spreading.
http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html
1) http://www.mystrokeofinsight.com/
I am very excited!
A couple of weeks ago I blogged about ‘Epilepsy drugs free – is it possible to fly without wings?’
This was about the one and only person I have ever read about managing epilepsy without anticonvulsant medication.
BUT I am happy to announce I was wrong!
There is MORE than one!
I have discovered a blogger who has recorded her journey towards anticonvulsant free epilepsy management and put it online!
It’s like Christmas! Well it nearly is in 3 weeks!
The link to the blog is here:
The blog, somewhat ambitiously titled ‘The Epilepsy Cure’ (Well why not reach for the stars?) Caught my eye straight away!
The first blog is January 2009
http://epilepsycure.blogspot.co.uk/2009_01_01_archive.html
And describes how the journey began.
The final blog is September 2011
In a nutshell this medical student blogged her way through coming off medication and has road tested nearly every natural therapy for epilepsy known to mankind. Not only that but at the end she and her partner are about to become 3!
Not a nearly extinct species either!
She emphasises this is not a guide, and that anyone reading should do their own research, but it really is a good read!
Enjoy!
One year ago I opened my copy of Epilepsy Action ‘Epilepsy Today’ magazine to read the ‘My Journal’ experience pages. (1)
There before my eyes was the story of a lady so rare that she could be listed as an endangered species next in line to the Dodo.
The story read:
‘The Jury is still out on whether complementary therapies can be effectively used to treat epilepsy. After an initial seizure, Emma Wilkinson decided to try them for herself.’
‘There is very little available information about treating epilepsy naturally, without medication. If you ask your doctor about it, they will probably say that there is no scientific evidence to prove it is possible. Yet, I have done it – through natural health my seizures have stopped. After being diagnosed with epilepsy, I began upon a natural route. I have seen incredible results on my health. It is my hope that by sharing my journey, you may be inspired to look into the treatments that may be used alongside your medication.’(p 27)
Unfortunately although Epilepsy Action have started posting new issues of the magazine online the back issues are not yet up, so I will briefly outline Emma’s story.
Emma started having seizures in 2008 following a gym training session which caused her to develop a migraine and on the way home she had her first seizure.
After initial investigation and a tumour scare, her neurologist told her that a small area of her brain showed up as having died, and was harmless (not a tumour), but caused an increased risk of seizures. This condition was linked to head injury but Emma had never had one.
She had been living with Bulimia for 7 years at the time and was not sure when to tell her neurologist.
She was diagnosed with Primary generalised seizures and epilepsy in 2009, when she was offered anticonvulsant medication.
At this point Emma’s story deviates drastically from the one’s I have read about previously, because she decided to meet a natural nutritionist who listened to her concerns about the side effects of anticonvulsant medication.
She says she was cynical about meeting her nutritionist because she didn’t see how changing her diet could stop her having seizures; her doctors were quite clear there was something wrong with her brain. The nutritionist really listened to her which was the first time she felt this had happened.
Information was gathered about events surrounding her seizures, emotionally and physically, health from birth to present day, Family history of health and illness, her troubled relationship with diet and exercise.
The nutritionist was clear that she could not ‘treat’ epilepsy, but the aim was to improve migraines that seemed to be linked to the condition.
‘She (the nutritionist) explained that when we suppress illness symptoms, our bodies lose the ability to tell where imbalances lie. Her job was to understand those imbalances and teach me to treat them appropriately through gentle detoxification techniques.’(p 29)
Additionally, to help Emma reduce the stress of experiencing epilepsy.
Emma made dietary changes, created a tailored supplement programme using naturopathic techniques from the nutritionist.
Emma says ‘It was the first time since my seizure that I felt so optimistic. Rather than being consigned to a lifetime on drugs, I was given an option of trying a different way. In natural health I was expected to take an active part in my own healing process. I would rather that than passively accept a one-size-fits all drug.’
Emma’s friends and family had reservations but within 6 weeks Emma noticed fewer migraines with loss of vision.
Additionally she felt she had more energy, felt less stressed and craved less exercise, she felt the incentive to continue.
She also enrolled in counselling specifically to help with her bulimic symptoms. She went to psychotherapy. Understanding how her early life had formed her thinking, feeling and behaviour and how it affected her relationship with food. It also helped her come to terms with having epilepsy.
Things got complicated when she started her teacher training. Emma had to rely on public transport where before she could drive. Between the long journeys, work and pressure she became tired, relapsed into her old stress, exercise and bulimia problems and so a year after her first seizure she had another one.
Obviously she was devastated. With a second seizure came further loss of independence and driving. Her consultant said she was at 90% risk of more seizures.
‘After much deliberation, I came to terms with the fact that I was responsible for my own health. Perhaps another seizure was just part of the journey. It told me that something within my body was not right and needed to be addressed, rather than supressed. I could see that, despite having this second seizure, I had come so far with my health. I felt that I owed it to myself to continue. With renewed determination, I moved onto the most important part of my healing process. I didn’t want to simply work towards reducing the likelihood of having another seizure. I was finally prepared to understand what factors, other than diet, were causing them.’
Emma purchased ‘Treating Epilepsy Naturally’ by Patricia Murphy (2).
She started to receive acupuncture and zero balancing therapy in addition to nutritional therapy. She went to a complementary therapist for massage which helped her to manage stress.
Her migraines totally disappeared.
‘My overall health and vitality blossomed. I was experiencing a wonderful state of full health for the first time in ages. These practitioners have also helped support my body through detoxification. They have enabled me to get rid of negative thinking patterns. They have allowed me to understand how my emotions are mapped onto my physical body.’
Emma states that her ‘team’ of therapists helped her to come to the painful realisation that she thought she was unable to love and accept herself unconditionally.
‘All of this work helped me make lots of positive physical and emotional changes. It is only through this understanding of my physical body that I made the biggest achievement of all. I learned to believe in my own self-worth. I can love and respect myself.’
In December 2011 Emma had been seizure free since 2009 and was looking forward to a career in music and was experiencing good physical and emotional health.
Emma finishes by acknowledging the contribution that western medicine has had on epilepsy treatment options.
She goes onto say ‘Western medicine encourages us to believe that doctors hold the power and have the answers that will cure us. It does not encourage us to listen to what our bodies are telling us or try to understand why a seizure occurs. I have learned that full health is my right – but it is also my responsibility.’
Emma ends by saying that natural health offers a totally effective therapy that can be tried alongside medication. She thinks it can work for everyone.
Epilepsy Today have BIG red writing paragraphs underneath about there being no scientific evidence to suggest that any type of complementary treatment is successful in curing epilepsy; AND about using complementary treatment alongside anti-epileptic medication rather than on its own.
It also signposts to www.cnhc.org.uk Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council to find a trained and qualified complementary healthcare practitioner.
Personally there is a lot about Emma’s story that I could relate two, although the circumstances around our epilepsies are completely different.
I would also state that in my experience no anticonvulsant medication has ever ‘cured’ the seizures I experience.
I have also used a large number of complementary therapies on my epilepsy journey, and there is a small army out there who I need to thank.
Unlike Emma I do take anticonvulsant medication. I was very young when my seizures started and so never had the opportunity to choose alternative therapy as a sole treatment from the outset.
I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to try alternative therapy as my main source of treatment, and whether or not the drugs I have taken over the years prevent me from ever finding out.
I don’t know what research there is in relation to neurodevelopment when anticonvulsants are prescribed.
Research into Cannabis shows that this drug does affect neurological development (3), I wouldn’t trust a drug company to honestly state what anticonvulsant medications do to the developing brain, but I still take my medication. (4) I did have really big problems with learning on some medications.
Emma mentions a book by a lady who chose to treat epilepsy naturally; I have found a second in my search for natural treatment see (5).
From this I have concluded that the incidence of completely natural epilepsy treatment is very much like spotting an extremely rare bird, there isn’t a high incidence of sightings.
For me Emma’s story goes to show it is possible in some RARE circumstances to ‘fly without wings’ and go it alone without medication, and for her sharing her story I am grateful.
She might be rare but she is flourishing and that is really something to behold.
Emma BELIEVES she can fly.
Not everyone is so fortunate.
It has served to highlight to me how unique we really all are in our health needs, experiences and treatments.
1) Epilepsy Action Magazine – Epilepsy Today Issue 110 December 2011 pages 27-30.
http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/news
2) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Treating-Epilepsy-Naturally-Alternative-Therapies/dp/0658013793
3) http://www.mcpap.com/pdf/Cannabis.pdf
4) http://www2.massgeneral.org/childhoodepilepsy/child/index.htm#anticonvulsant
5) http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Treating_Epilepsy_Naturally.html?id=lj99VaBHSFcC
The Real Lord of The Flies A True Life Story 