The Positive Effects of Neurofeedback for Epilepsy & Migraines

Migraines and epilepsy are two of the most common neurological diseases in the world. An estimated 39 million Americans are living with migraines, with around 50 million people worldwide struggling with epilepsy. Both diseases are non-communicable, but their diverse symptoms and the severe forms of treatment associated with them can make them debilitating for anyone who struggles with them. A migraine is so much more than just a bad headache.

In this article, we’ll share how neurofeedback works for seizure disorders, such as epilepsy and migraines. For those looking for a drug-free, risk-free approach, neurofeedback can provide effective relief for people with all types of seizure disorders and for those suffering from migraines.

Suggested read: Curious about the side effects of neurofeedback training? Check out our recent blog post to learn about what side effects are possible and how you can minimize your risk.

Epilepsy vs migraines

What is epilepsy?

We can’t understand how neurofeedback therapy can be helpful without first discussing epilepsy and what it is. Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that is characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures. Seizures are sudden changes in behavior or sensations that are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

While seizures can vary greatly from person to person, they typically involve a loss of consciousness and/or convulsions. Epilepsy can be very debilitating, and it can significantly impact a person’s quality of life.

What is a migraine?

Anyone who has experienced a migraine knows that they are terribly painful and oftentimes debilitating! While migraine symptoms vary from person to person, some common symptoms include:

Moderate to severe pain in the head
Pain on one side or both
Throbbing, pounding, pulsing feeling of the head
Head pain that gets worse with physical activity and movement
Nausea and/or vomiting
Sensitivity to light, noise, and/or smells
Attacks that last anywhere from a few hours to several days.

It’s unclear what causes migraines, but it’s believed environment and genetics play a role, as they often run in families. Most sufferers will have attacks that appear at random, meaning nothing they did or didn’t do triggers what is called an attack. Other migraine sufferers can identify triggers such as:

Certain foods
Skipping meals
Alcohol
Sleeping too much or not enough
Changes to barometric pressure
Changes in weather
Hormonal changes in women
Concussions
Traumatic brain injuries

Is there a link between migraines and epilepsy?

Migraines and epilepsy often go hand in hand and are both events related to the brain. Exactly how they're linked is something scientists are still unraveling, but there is evidence that the two are related!

While everyone’s journey is unique, studies have found that those who suffer from epilepsy are more than twice as likely to get migraines as well.

In addition, migraines share some common features with epilepsy. They may be triggered by stress, fatigue, women’s hormone changes, and more. Like seizures, migraine sufferers may see an “aura” that can look like lightning, flashing lights, distorted visual images, and blind spots.

One symptom of epileptic seizure which can often be mistaken for a migraine is the ictal headache: a rare type of headache which can sometimes be the sole symptom of an epileptic seizure.

Neurofeedback for epilepsy & migraines

What is neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback training that measures brainwaves and provides the patient with real-time feedback about how the brain is functioning. It's a non-invasive way to gain control of the subconscious processes your brain uses to keep your body healthy. Neurofeedback specialists use machines and electrodes to measure how your brain responds and what is happening. This can improve relaxation and promote healing.

Neurofeedback training is used to help the brain to function at its peak performance levels. In some cases, such as with NeurOptimal Neurofeedback, this allows the brain to reorganize and self correct…leading to optimal functioning.

Neurofeedback for epilepsy

Epilepsy is most commonly treated with drug therapy, and when diagnosed early, many children who suffer from epilepsy can grow to experience seizure-free adult lives. However, the process can have many unpleasant side effects, and can often be difficult to manage appropriately.

In certain cases, neurofeedback may offer a non-invasive way to reduce epileptic seizures, either in conjunction with drug therapy or on its own.

Neurofeedback technology uses electrical brain signals to help people with epilepsy manage their condition. The technology involves hooking up non-invasive electrodes to the scalp and using them to send signals to a computer. The computer then analyzes the brain activity and provides feedback to the patient.

Because this system empowers patients to control their own brain activity, neurofeedback has been shown to be effective in reducing seizure frequency. In some cases, drug-resistant epilepsy patients were able to greatly reduce the number of seizures by utilizing neurofeedback technology. Neurofeedback is non-invasive and has few side effects, making it an attractive treatment option for people with epilepsy.

While it isn’t a cure, one study showed that 74% of participants reduced the frequency of their seizures through the use of neurofeedback training.

How does neurofeedback work?

There are two different types of neurofeedback that can be used: Linear neurofeedback and Dynamical neurofeedback. The first step in a linear model epilepsy neurofeedback protocol is qEEG brain mapping. Mapping of the brain is an easy process where sensors are placed on the scalp to measure activity and brain waves. This allows a neurofeedback specialist to get a baseline understanding of the patient’s electrical patterns. Once that baseline data is collected, the specialist can create a custom protocol for each patient's individual needs and circumstances.

A dynamical neurofeedback model, utilizing NeurOptimal Neurofeedback, simply gathers information on what the brain is doing in the present moment, and feeds this information back to the brain. This then allows the brain to self correct and self regulate, based on the feedback it has received.

Neurofeedback for migraines

Similar to epilepsy, migraines are often treated with harsh drug therapies. However, unlike epilepsy, these treatment modalities typically only provide temporary relief for migraine sufferers. Often, this temporary relief is not enough to outweigh the unpleasant side effects that drug therapies bring with them.

Because of this, migraines are one of the most popular medical conditions to be addressed with neurofeedback. In 2011, one study showed that out of 71 patients with recurrent migraine headaches, 54% experienced complete halting of their migraines, and 39% experienced a reduction in the frequency of their migraines! This study concluded that QEEG-guided neurofeedback appears to be dramatically effective in significantly reducing the frequency of migraine headaches.

How to get started with neurofeedback training

If you and your family have tried drug treatment and other therapies without seeing the results you hope for, neurofeedback may offer some relief from chronic migraines or epilepsy. If you’re interested in trying neurofeedback training, contact us to learn more about how this system can help you and your family find relief.