While Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects 6.5 million children across the United States, neurofeedback can alleviate troublesome symptoms permanently.

Often, children with ADHD or ADD suffer from a lack of focus, impulsive behavior, with or without hyperactivity, and difficulty paying attention.

Stimulant medication is a common prescription for those who have ADHD or ADD as a way to improve focus. Though medicinal treatment is very common, it does not work for all children and sometimes comes with negative side effects.

Neurofeedback is a brain training program that can replace medicinal treatments while offering promising results to adults and children without the use of medication and their unwanted side effects.

Inside a brain with ADHD

The brains of those with ADHD function a little differently than the brains of those individuals who do not have ADHD. When compared to a neurotypical individual, a brain with ADHD or ADD may show some brainwave imbalances.

Individuals with ADHD have imbalances in the type and quantity of their brainwaves. For example, the front of the brain, which handles concentration and organization, has an excess of Delta and Theta brainwaves. These brain waves are slower-moving brain waves and are usually only found in a higher quantity when someone is resting or relaxing.

When these brain waves remain high while a person is in an active state, they begin to interfere with the faster-moving Beta brainwaves.  Beta brain waves are important because they are necessary for clear thinking.

Using Medicine to Treat ADHD

Often, patients with ADHD are prescribed medications such as Adderall, Vyvanse or Ritalin. These medications work by increasing levels of neurotransmitters (dopamine and norepinephrine) in the brain and improving attention, executive function, and focus. Medication can affect the entire body as it works throughout the bloodstream.

Sometimes, these types of stimulant medications produce unwanted side effects. Patients can experience sleep disruptions, reduced appetite (a potential issue for growing children), depression, irritability, and other troublesome side effects.

Medication can put a bandage on a problem, but it doesn’t change the root cause of the issue. Not only that, but it’s possible to develop a tolerance to the medication, which in turn creates the need for larger amounts of the medication to achieve similar effects.  Or, in some cases, medication stops having any effect at all.

Using Neurofeedback to Treat ADHD

Neurofeedback is a medication-free, pain-free, all-natural alternative for treating ADHD symptoms. It retrains the brain and exercises it to create better neuropathways, leading to clearer thoughts, better attention, and a more balanced brain.

A typical neurofeedback session involves watching a video while sensors on the scalp measure brainwave activity. As the brain reacts to the visual and auditory stimulation from the video, the brainwaves are monitored and using this data, the video is changed slightly so the brain begins to react differently and in the way it should to encourage balance.

Repeated practice in changing the brain’s reaction to outside stimulation creates better neuropathways. Over time, the brain begins to use these better pathways outside of the training sessions resulting in better focus, less hyperactivity or impulsivity, clearer thinking, and better emotional regulation.

Because this training teaches the brain to learn new habits, the training lasts long after the sessions have been completed. The brain is learning a new method of thinking, and these methods become the new routine for the brain. Just like riding a bike, you never forget the training you receive with neurofeedback.

Start Your Neurofeedback Experience with a Free Consultation.

Neurofeedback Health His Way uses neurofeedback training to help ADHD and ADD patients of nearly every age in the Wheaton, Illinois, area. Our clinic is conveniently located just 25 miles east of Chicago and can help you or someone you love reduce or eliminate their medication while improving their symptoms.

If you have questions or would like to schedule a consultation regarding neurofeedback training, contact us online or call 630-254-0766 to speak with us one-on-one today.