Brain Stimulation Therapy | Neuro Rehab Services at FHE Health

Neurostimulation Therapies at FHE Health

Every day our brains are bombarded with sensory stimuli. All of this raw information is converted into electrical energy that travels to the brain via nerve impulses for processing. However, when drugs or alcohol enter our body, they interrupt our normal sensory information processes. These substances either mimic neurotransmitters that naturally occur in our bodies, or they cause the overproduction of neurotransmitters such as serotonin or dopamine – chemicals that are typically produced during real experiences in life that bring pleasure, excitement, etc.

As your brain artificially churns out important neurotransmitters due to drugs, your body compensates by creating fewer and fewer receptors, which is what leads to drug tolerance. Tolerance occurs when the user consumes more drugs in order to create the same desired effect, causing the brain to re-wire itself to accommodate the continued presence of drugs. When the drug usage or high comes to an end, your neural networks are left dysregulated with neurons reacting to the lack of artificial neurotransmitters, resulting in withdrawal symptoms and intense cravings.

It takes time for your neural networks to repair themselves and return to normal. However, at FHE Health, we offer a series of electrical, vibrational and biofeedback stimulation therapies designed to encourage the neural repair process and to combat the symptoms of neural dysfunction, such as cravings, withdrawals, depression, anxiety, attention problems and memory loss.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a unique neuroscience treatment offered exclusively at FHE Health. This treatment helps rebuild and recondition neural pathways that may have been damaged due to prolonged substance use or alcoholism, traumatic brain injury, traumatic experiences, and helps to improve mental health symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and impulse control/executive functioning. By applying continuous electromagnetic pulses to the scalp, neuronal activity is increased in the cortical and subcortical regions, which is right beneath where the pulses occur, in order to increase the likelihood of neuron depolarization (i.e. neurons firing, or “talking”). In the brain, a surge in calcium ions and in sodium ions creates a condition of neuroplasticity, which makes the brain more susceptible to conditioning and other more traditional treatment interventions. It increases the potential of the brain to change, learn and grow. Improved neuronal function using tDCS can help counteract dysregulation in the brain caused by substance abuse, brain injury, trauma, and mental health symptoms. We create an individualized treatment protocol for each patient, based on personal history, presenting symptoms, and’/or drug of choice. Transcranial current stimulation therapy has been demonstrated to produce marked biochemical and physiological changes in our patients.

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is another unique neuroscience treatment offered exclusively at FHE Health. This treatment also helps to rebuild and recondition neural pathways that may have been damaged due to prolonged substance use or alcoholism, traumatic brain injury, traumatic experiences, and helps to improve mental health symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and executive functioning. This treatment is used to change the brain’s behavior in order to promote healing and symptom improvement. With tACS, we can choose the exact frequencies that the brain is lacking in order to promote balance, or central nervous system regulation. tACS works to synchronize neural activity to increase neuronal firing to the region in which we apply the stimulation. Improve neuronal functioning can help counteract dysregulation in the brain as a result of substance use, injury, trauma, and/or mental health symptoms. We create an individualized treatment protocol for each patient, based on personal history, presenting symptoms, and’/or drug of choice. Transcranial current stimulation therapy has been demonstrated to produce marked biochemical and physiological changes in our patients.

Transcranial advanced pink noise stimulation (tAPNS)

Transcranial advanced pink noise stimulation (tAPNS) is the newest innovation to neuromodulation techniques offered exclusively at FHE Health. It is a form of electrical stimulation that is used to treat many conditions in the brain and the body. Alternating frequencies similar to white noise passes back and forth through the brain. tAPNS is different from tDCS and tACS becuase of instead of giving a steady frequency, it gives many randomized frequencies to the brain. This allows us to soften maladaptive patterns in the brain that have become stuck. It promotes neuroplasticity, making the brain more able to change and adapt, and go back to a more healthy way of functioning.

Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (pEMF)

Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (pEMF) is safe and has many benefits. When we apply a rhythm to the brain, the brain naturally begins to follow that rhythm. We place coils that contain magnets around the head for entrainment of brainwaves, on the belly for inflammation reduction, and other parts of the body for pain reduction, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and other ailments. The consistent rhythm of the pEMF stimulation helps neurons to synchronize, leading to better brain functionng and reduction of problematic symptoms.

Biofeedback

BioSound Feedback therapy at FHE Health combines vibrational stimulation with highly tuned Heart Rate Variability (HRV) monitoring to provide a unique type of biofeedback therapy. Our HRV system monitors an individual’s pulse, blood pressure, and breathing rate during BioSound Feedback sessions, in order to capture a complete and total picture of what is happening internally. Using binaural sounds and vibrational stimulation, our BioSound patients are brought into a state of relaxation and meditation. In this meditative state, patients are provided with a variety of different audio playlists to listen to, all designed to produce feelings of positive affirmation and self-worth.

Neurostimulation is not ECT (Electroconvulsive therapy). ECT is approximately 40,000 times stronger than neurostimulation. Since the intensity of the current is so low (0.5 – 2.5 mA), there has not been one significant adverse effect reported in over 30,000 trials.