By Dr. Tom Woodman and Dr. Laura Pardue
In 2012, Medical Marijuana became legal in Connecticut, and as of July 1, 2021, it is now legal for anyone over the age of 21 to possess and/or use recreational marijuana within our State. From a health perspective, many people use marijuana to help mitigate the symptoms associated with anxiety, to help improve their sleep, and to help decrease chronic pain.
From a neurofeedback perspective, these conditions have a commonality in that they often demonstrate a similar type of brainwave dysfunction – an overactive brain that produces too much of the faster frequencies at the wrong time (the brain is supposed to fluidly shift brainwave activity based on the circumstances). When this "fast frequency" pattern persists, the symptoms of anxiety, poor sleep and chronic pain often emerge and become a more frequent experience for the person. Marijuana seems to slow the brain down temporarily giving some relief with these symptoms. But despite the temporary relief that some people experience, studies suggest that chronic marijuana use is associated with compromised memory, attention, and judgment, especially if started while the brain is still developing. So in some ways, while it seems that marijuana replaces one undesired brainwave pattern with another undesired brainwave pattern, it doesn’t restore the appropriate shifting patterns that a healthier brain demonstrates.
Neurofeedback therapy is a unique form of exercise that trains the brain to produce more desired patterns of brainwave activity that can restore the brain’s ability to shift more fluidly and appropriately given the situations that the person finds he or she in. We have been offering neurofeedback therapy since 2010, and have helped many people be better able to manage their anxiety, improve sleep challenges and significantly decrease the chronic pain. It is a safe, effective and non-drug treatment alternative for managing a variety of symptoms that people struggle with, including what we have discussed above. If you find yourself (or your child) struggling with these issues, we encourage you to learn more about how brainwave training might be something to consider.
[Dr. Tom Woodman and Dr. Laura Pardue are both Board Certified in Neurofeedback and Chiropractic, and have maintained an office in Fairfield County since 1995. They have been offering neurofeedback therapy since 2010, and have opened a satellite clinic (Next Level Neurofeedback) at the Connecticut Sportsplex for the summer. Dr. Woodman has lectured throughout the country on neurofeedback, and teaches a 12-hour continuing education seminar on Functional Brain Development, Neuroplasticity and Neurofeedback. He also serves as a mentor for other healthcare providers who are seeking Board Certification in Neurofeedback. For more information, please visit www.nextlevelneurofeedback.com – or call or office at (203)316-8212.]
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