In addition to higher levels of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, post traumatic stress, and cardiovascular disease than the general population, a number of first responders have varying degrees of concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). These can affect memory, executive functioning, the ability focus, emotional regulation, and can result in personality changes and other symptoms. TBIs can also cause severe TBI headaches, complete with debilitating pain and vision problems.

A key component of the neurofeedback that the Heart Matters Restoration Initiative provides access to is that it always begins with brain mapping, a process called QEEG.

This evaluates the manner in which a brain functions from an efficiency standpoint, by looking at connections and processes throughout the brain.

The statistical analysis preformed on the QEEG data allows the provider to know, in many cases with a 95% degree of accuracy, if and where someone has functional brain dysregulation, which is often experienced as physical or mental health symptoms.

Instead of educated guesswork on what will best deal with a person’s concerns, this QEEG process, and the Z-Score Neurofeedback that is used with it, allows for targeted interventions that often result in symptom alleviation or elimination for many mental health issues as well as headaches and sleep disturbances.

In fact, neurofeedback is one of the few interventions that can help heal damaged brain tissue, bringing symptom relief for many with head injuries. It is a tool being used in some military medical facilities for the treatment of TBIs.

When first responders are less burdened with physical and mental health battles, they then often have greater capacity to address other areas in life that lead to better overall health.

Unlike some interventions used to address physical or mental health, neurofeedback is a non-invasive tool that offers an alternative, or sometimes a complement to, traditional pharmaceutical treatments. These often come with a range of undesirable side effects such as fatigue, nausea, or mood swings that can negatively impact job performance. Neurofeedback focuses on training the brain to optimize its own functioning and is a more natural approach to wellness.