JT5493,

Fortunately, there are a variety of different methods and protocols that can be used to treat you. Here is a good website to visit that will give you the nuts and bolts of this type of therapy. Here is also a good video that does an ok job explaining it. EEG info also has a lot of good info.

I will caution you with this though. Make sure that the person has experience treating head injuries. If they don't, leave and find another therapist that does. I can assist you in this if you need it.

http://www.aboutneurofeedback.com/index.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6XeCwFQrCA
http://www.eeginfo.com

So can this machine effectively tell you if ou have a headache or migraine? and can it also fix it? Seems quite effective, why dont people use it more?

Neurofeedback won't be able to diagnose a headache or migraine because there really are not typical brainwave patterns for these. Your headache or migraine is most likely a manifestation of brainwave irregularities in your EEG. So, instead, the therapist will be able to discern those irregularities and attempt to normalize them. When this happens, often the migraines or headaches go away. However, as a side note, migraines can be a bit trickier to treat because sometimes they aren't related to EEG but to other factors such as lack of blood flow to that area. However, HEG is a good therapy for this condition.

No one really knows why neurofeedback isn't more mainstream. One theory is that before the discovery of neuroplasticity, mainstream medicine didn't believe the brain could change at all, so they dismissed the idea of being able to change your brain through conditioning. Another theory has to do with ADHD. Neurofeedback has been proven through scientific studies to be as effective at treating ADHD as any medication has. Because of this, the pharmaceutical companies have worked hard to keep neurofeedback out of mainstream medicine. A third theory is that it is difficult to perform double blind placebo studies with this therapy, so they have had a difficult time getting the FDA to clear it, and since it isn't FDA approved, a lot of doctors won't prescribe it. Finally, it isn't taught in medical school, so a lot of doctors simply don't know anything about it.

Went to it, turns out it wasnt neurofeedback but he is a neuropsycologist. I did the impact test. Dont know the results till next Thurs. He also saw ive had balance issues i.e leaning to left. An i have a tremor especially in left hand. Is tremor caused by medication or by the concussion?

how do you not know the results until next thursday?

The tremors, especially if they are one sided could be related to a lingering neck injury. Drugs or concussion could make the tremors more obvious but the left side only issue sounds like a neck (cervical) nerve issue. The leaning could also be connected to a cranial nerve issue, specifically cranial nerve VIII (8).

A chiropractor may be able to help you with the cervical nerve issue if it is a causative factor. You might be surprise by what a chiropractor can help you with. Many concussion patients also suffer from cervical vertebra problems that go undiagnosed.

You want to find a conservative chiropractor who is skilled at low impact neck treatments. Not all chiropractors are trained the same so there can be a vast difference between their skill sets.

Like Soccer, I also wonder why you have to wait for the results of your ImPACT test. The software should give a test result at completion. Keep in mind that the ImPACT test is not a complete diagnostic tool. It is used to observe trends, such as before injury, just after injury, and at later times after injury. It needs the pre-injury data to effectively indicate symptoms. If the pre-injury data is not available, then a later follow-up ImPACT test can show whether there is an improvement in symptoms since the first after injury ImPACT test.

Unless the ImPACT test has a newer more extensive reference database for comparison, it will only show a range of dysfunction. It could be used as a preliminary test to indicate a need for a more extensive neuro-psychological assessment.

Please be very cautious about using it as a guide for return to play or risky activity. It does not indicate anything about the brain's tolerance for another impact. Considering your two prior concussions, I am not surprised at your current struggles. You now qualify as having Multiple Impact Syndrome by my understanding.

Did your school or league order the ImPACT test? This would be a common occurrence. Often at the request of their insurance company. If they did, I would recommend finding an attorney for some counsel. Insurance companies often request these tests to build their defense against liability. www.gordonjohnson.com would be a good place to look for a referral and other valuable information.

Print this post out and show it to your parents. You need good counsel. Your future is at stake.

If you feel the need to message me privately with more details or questions, I will respond. I am concerned for you.

My next appointment with the doc is this thurs, and after i took the test he said he had another appointment, and since im not in school or not doing nothing till thurs there is not harm in waitin. This thurs once they do the results they will decide if i get to go bak to school for half days. I hope i do, but i still feel really crappy even though i felt ive improved. I just hope and wish my head can take it cuz it suks just sitting at home going to doctors appts. day after day after day. And this is going on 7-8 weeks, so im just sick of being sick and being like this if you all know what i mean and i think you all do.

Oh and Mark i dont think i need an attorney bcuz my parents are the ones that set me up with these appts., not the school, so i dont think i have to wory about the liability issues. Also they have supported me since the get go and even though i dont feel better on the physical side. on the emotional i feel a lot better bcuz i know they care and love me and just want to see me get better. I mean it was there idea to see a hypnotist and ive been listning to his tapes mostly at night bcuz i cant sleep and they seem to help me sleep and relax me so it helps me there. I mean i know i just got to take it one step at a time and before you know it i will hopefully be bak in school and playing sports again. I only hope.

With the neck and tremor issue that is interesting bcuz i do remeber as a child i went to go see a chiropracter for neck promblems!!! I would get cramps in my neck frequently mostly playing sports. I have occasionaly gotten cramps in my neck over the years but nothing to warrant re-visiting him again, but i dont know now.

So, Have you and your parents established any criteria for determining when you can return to playing sports?

Have you considered what kind of sports will be acceptable considering your concussion history?

Has your doctor made any comments about sports or academic efforts?

These areas will all be impacted by your concussion history, especially since this last concussion has been so symptomatic.

I am interested in your thought processes as you consider these ideas.

I wish I had a better understanding of the meaning of my symptoms when I was your age. When I was your age, I had recently suffered my third concussion and it devastated my grade point average. I struggled for years as I tried to understand what my symptoms were and meant. My sense of failure was very frustrating.

I could not make sense of why I could go from top performing to struggling to get by in just a few months time. I would be able to recover somewhat but not know how to avoid another relapse. I has only been in the last ten years that I have had access to the information available on the internet that helped me understand my symptoms. Even then, it took me a few years to put it all together.

You have opportunities to overcome much of your current and future symptoms by being proactive about your future.

I hope you have the patience and wisdom to consider your future thoughtfully.

I just want to provide an update for every1. Last Thurs i went and got my Impact scores, and they were low, all in the teens i think? Me, my parents, and the doctor decided to add something back to my life since i have been improving lately and looking better. We decided to choose a subject from school, history, and i would do hour assignments each day for the rest of this week and then see how i feel. Although this past weekend i had a minor setback, i had a lot of congestion in my head, i was blowing my nose, my head felt really weighted, etc. My headache seemed to get a whole lot worse when this congestion came, and although it has gone down mostly, i still have a worse headache then i had before. Does any1 know if this is possible or if its something else that can cause this re-agravation? Also i tried my hoourly assignment, and i found myself struggling massively. I mean compared to wher i was before as an honors student i had a real hard time doing the homework while dealing with the headache and not being able to concentrate. I just want this too end!! Hopefully since Christmas is coming up Santa could get me a new brain!!!!!!

Mark i am defientely not playing any sports till next summer, if i can even play at that point!

JT,

Do you have any "gentle" intellectual pursuits? Maybe rereading a favorite book or doing some "simple" word games?

I can not handle the intensity of Sudoku but I do like to do the Numbrix puzzles at Parade:
http://www.parade.com/askmarilyn/num...-20090617.html

There is no calculating involved, just filling in the blanks with the proper numbers in normal sequence.

I know how frustrating this can be. I needed to fill out Work Comp forms after my injury but they overwhelmed me. I can get overwhelmed by a fill in the blanks form.

Do you like drawing or painting? Creative expression can be a good outlet if it is your style.

Remember, you can start simple and only progress as you feel. Be ready to take a break. This is important. When you feel like your eyes are glassing over or your brain is struggling, take a break.

Your brain will get good benefit from efforts that are as low impact as a slow walk. Your brain does not need to run hard or train for a marathon. A slow walk is of great value.

I get great benefit being with young children. They do not put you to task. Their simple play is very therapeutic.

Hope this helps.

My best to you.