Biofeedback treatment for migraines and other kinds of headaches has been known to be helpful for several decades.  The treatments included EMG training, relaxation therapy, combined EMG and relaxation, and cognitive-behavior therapy.

There is a new kind of biofeedback treatment called Hemoencephalography (HEG) in which the patient learns to train the frontal lobe cerebral blood flow.  An infrared camera reads the temperature of the blood flow of the frontal lobe beneath the skull.  If the patient keeps the temperature above the threshold level, the movie continues to play.  If the temperature drops in the frontal lobe, then the movie stops.  By focusing on a bar graph, the patient can bring up the temperature and the movie continues.  This biofeedback system was originally designed for migraine headache treatment, and has shown promising results.  Carmen (2004) took 100 migraine patients who had been through many previous treatments, including many trying several medications, with little success.  Positive results were usually seen in 6 HEG sessions, and over 90 percent of the patients reported significantly positive results, according to their own report.  Although much more research needs to be done with this method, such dramatic results are promising.

At the Brain Clinic, we offer comprehensive treatment for those with migraines and headaches. Biofeedback, cognitive behavior therapy, and relaxation techniques are combined to provide medication-free treatment. Contact Us to schedule an appointment.

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