Neurohacking is all the buzz these days for improving mental performance and enhancing recovery time. If you’re curious, and start looking into Neurofeedback and Brain Balancing programs, you may quickly become overwhelmed by all of the options that are available to you. And, it can be confusing to understand the similarities and differences between the different options. One type of treatment that several of our clients have tried and/or asked us about, is TMS, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, and how it compares to our Neurofeedback System, NeurOptimal®. Fortunately, our very own NeurOptimal® Associate has had firsthand experience working with patients as a technician for both of these modalities. We asked her to share her knowledge and experience working with clients using both systems and here’s what she had to say.
Neurofeedback and TMS are two modalities that I’d heard of, but never had first hand experience with – until recently. Both are noninvasive treatments to help influence the brain, and throughout the past year I’ve had the opportunity to observe the effects of each. In my short time working with TMS patients and neurofeedback clients, it’s been incredible to see the impact of both systems on individuals receiving them. Having helped operate both, here’s my honest review of the two.
I worked for a mental health clinic in Denver last year, and there I became certified as a TMS technician. TMS stands for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, and it uses magnetic fields to influence brain activity. TMS operates using a magnetic coil to transfer electromagnetic pulses to help stimulate the brain cells. The electrical pulses are repetitive, and TMS has mainly been used to help treat depression. The vast majority of TMS patients suffer from one form of clinically diagnosed mental illness, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, etc; although TMS has been shown to successfully help treat these and other mental disorders.
Though I found the process of TMS fascinating, I did have some skepticism as to its effectiveness. Out of all the patients I administered treatments to over a period of six months, a handful had significant success at the completion of their sessions. Not only is the process of receiving TMS daunting, there are hoops and hurdles to get through in qualifying with insurance companies. Depending on a person’s deductible having been met or not, the cost of their treatment could range anywhere from free to a few thousand dollars. So not only do you have to qualify through insurance to see if you can even receive TMS, but you could spend anywhere from five grand or more, for a treatment that may or may not give you the results you are hoping for.
TMS also comes with multiple side effects. The vast majority of clients receive headaches during the first few days for up to a week through their sessions, though with time these typically lessen or go away. They may also experience insomnia, increased anxiety, and dizziness during the process. The pulsing from the coil is uncomfortable and can sometimes cause calluses on the scalp, and can be described as painful for some individuals. A severe side effect can be seizure, however this is extremely rare and luckily I never had a client have one. TMS is also very demanding on a person’s schedule, for they typically need to show up 3-5 days a week for a couple months until their treatment is complete, or until their insurance date expires. Most folks have to take time off work or school, and typically insurance companies only allow a few months window of time to complete it. A treatment option like this is not always the most efficient or sustainable for a full-time student or a person without a flexible work schedule.
There’s also the dip: a timeframe during treatment where patients’ mental health may regress or become worse than it previously was when they first came in. During my training we were initially told to disclose this information during initial appointments, however it never sat well with me. Essentially telling someone “Oh, by the way, during your TMS journey you may start to feel even worse than when you previously started” was already setting up a person for failure in my opinion. Most of these folks continuously have crippling depression and anxiety, and telling them on day one they’ll get even worse doesn’t exactly invoke a spark of confidence to them that it will ultimately work. Of course, I understood the reasoning behind telling them, if their dip were to occur they wouldn’t be blindsided nor possibly be as easy to doubt or regret the progress TMS has made up to that point. I’m a big believer in the placebo effect, and I noticed right away once patients were told they could get worse, they were never fully trustworthy of TMS from start to finish, as opposed to other patients who weren’t immediately told about the dip, their approach and outlook looked different. I get it, no one wants to be told something they’re paying a lot of money for and investing a lot of time in may not work right upfront. If I was receiving TMS, I wouldn’t want to hear that either.
Despite all my criticisms of TMS, I have seen its positive attributes and believe in some cases it can be incredibly beneficial. I had one patient who quit using marijuana, had easier ways to cope with his anxiety, was no longer taking antidepressant medication, and got out of his shell and comfort level faster after TMS. He described it to be ‘life-changing’ for him. It can be the right treatment for some people, and I applaud those who take time out of their busy lives and money out of their pockets to invest in it, for it is an unnerving ordeal. It takes a lot of bravery and courage to seek out treatment. But in my mind and heart, working in direct correlation with massive pharmaceutical corporations, health insurance companies and psychiatrists who prescribe medication after medication, I knew there was another more holistic path to wellness that I was meant to embark on to help heal people.
I have that opportunity now, through Recovery Lounge and Spa here in Denver. As I mentioned before, neurofeedback was a concept I’ve heard of, but soon became familiar with their NeurOptimal® system and am now a Certified NeurOptimal® Trainer. Neurofeedback is another brain training tool that has similarities to TMS, yet is also vastly different.
NeurOptimal® is Dynamical Neurofeedback, a type of brain training or biofeedback for your brain. NeurOptimal provides a person’s brain with feedback in real time by monitoring shifts in the person’s brain activity and mirroring or interrupting those patterns in the central nervous system through music and sound. NeurOptimal® trains a person’s brain to help their nervous system become more resilient and malleable. With NeurOptimal®, folks are hooked up to sensors on their ears and scalp with a type of paste that conducts EEG signals, while listening to an audio playlist. As the music is playing, there will occasionally be ‘scratches’ or ‘blips’ during the audio when the software is temporarily being interrupted and cuing your brain. These interruptions in the music are designed to give your brain information to help it self-correct and operate in a more efficient manner. Over time, people who use NeurOptimal® consistently tend to see significant changes or shifts and they typically see those changes or shifts at or around 20 sessions. So for NeurOptimal, 20 sessions at 1-2 sessions a week is the optimal target for more lasting results.
A common type of neurofeedback known as linear or classical neurofeedback provides brain mapping, EEG’s, and requires monitoring to steer the brain in a specific direction with a targeted goal of balancing the brain. It also requires a diagnosis, which, unlike its NeurOptimal® counterpart, does not. NeurOptimal® is known as dynamical neurofeedback, where a person is receiving feedback in real-time rather than a pre-set program. It does not require a diagnosis or something to be ‘wrong’ with them in order to receive it. With NeurOptimal® there is no brain mapping and nothing is being taken out of or put into the brain and there are no programming decisions being made by a technician to force the brain to be trained in a specific direction. You simply put on your headphones, we place the sensors on, and your brain does its thing.
With NeurOptimal® there’s no need to go through a lengthy process with your insurance company to qualify. There’s no need to have trialed multiple medications and no need for a formal diagnosis. What makes NeurOptimal® stand out is its ease of application, minimal to no side effects, and the benefit for many populations ranging from people suffering from TBIs including concussion, people looking to help improve their performance, sleep or memory, children with ADHD or lack of concentration in school, and people with mental health disorders.
I’ve seen continual progress from clients I’ve worked with in NeurOptimal® and they all tell me the same thing: they’ve noticed something happening. They’re getting more sleep, their memory is better, they’re less anxious, they’re not getting headaches or migraines as frequently, their mood has improved. Subtle changes or shifts in concerns they had coming in for the first time, to people receiving regular maintenance can tell there is something to it. NeurOptimal® is also typically less pricier than TMS, and are only 33 minute sessions. Through Recovery Lounge and Spa, we also offer NeurOptimal® home rentals, so a person can still receive all the brain benefits in the comfort of their own home. There are no time constraints, no ticking countdown or an ‘end date’ to when you need to finish, for NeurOptimal® can always be started and stopped, used continuously or occasionally, to whatever needs fit someone the most. There’s no pain or discomfort, and no one is told right away “you’ll get worse before you get better.”
The pros of NeurOptimal® seemingly outweigh any possible cons of TMS I’ve seen and experienced as a technician for both. Though I do not believe there is a ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to treatment or therapy or healing of any kind, I have seen more of a positive influence working with neurofeedback clients and their results from NeurOptimal®. They aren’t being told what to do and aren’t being told a problem cannot be solved or an issue cannot be fixed. Anyone can come and receive NeurOptimal® and do not need to completely break their wallet to do so. I’ll take small sensors on my scalp over a pulsing magnetic coil on it any day. I have no doubt either TMS or neurofeedback couldn’t work for one person or another, and these systems are being more widespread and becoming more mainstream which is encouraging to the masses, but to me, there’s less risk with NeurOptimal® and more hope and opportunity for real change consistently over time, versus a slightly more dramatic (possible) short boost of improvement.
To learn more about NeurOptimal® Dynamical Neurofeedback, check out this Explainer Video or schedule a FREE Virtual Consultation with one of our NeurOptimal® Trainers.