The History of Migraine Relief Therapy
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Letter from Dr. Collins:I have been a clinician in private practice for over 30 years. Until about 15 years ago my practice was typical of most psychological practices, I specialized in marriage and family therapy but also saw a fair amount of individuals. Fifteen years ago all of this changed. My son was in a severe auto accident which left him significantly disabled. After nine months of relying on traditional medicine my wife and I came to the conclusion that we had to seek alternative solutions. This led to the discovery of a therapeutic process called neurofeedback.
Retraining myself from a clinical standpoint took at least four years as I worked to become certified as a Neurotherapist. While using neurofeedback with my son I also began to incorporate it into my practice. What has developed over the last 15 years has been a slow but steady progression of technology that can be used to help individuals with severe brain injuries and brain dysfunction.
One of the primary neurological deficits that became clearer and clearer to me as I attempted to help my son was something called Sensory Integration. Normally our brains pull together the information from all of our senses to help us gain a better and richer perspective of the world around us. Many day-to-day tasks that we perform are only possible because of our brain's ability to integrate multiple sensory input. Walking down a set of stairs is a simple example. We use sight and three-dimensional perspective to be able to adequately move from one step to the next. We also have to be able to control all the muscles of our legs and the muscles of our abdomen and back in order to maintain an upright position. When watching the very young or the very old do the same task we gain some appreciation for how difficult it is. One of the complications with traumatic brain injury is the decreased ability to integrate sensory information.
Because I kept seeing this over and over, in not only my son but in other patients coming through my practice, I began to look at treatment options that could be of help. The Neuro Sensory Reintegration (NSR) that is used today is a direct result of my attempt to find viable treatment options for my son as well as my patients.
One thing I've observed over the years, not only in myself but in other parents of severely injured or limited children, is the tenacity with which we seek alternatives treatments when none are present. This was the driving force behind the development of the Neuro Sensory Reintegration system. NSR, as it exists today, is the direct outcome of trying to find solutions when none seem to be apparent. It's the direct result of trying to find help for a loved one when nothing is available. These two factors can be powerful motivators. In this case the result is an effective treatment alternative for people with severe brain injuries, significant developmental lags or other neurological complications such as autism, Asperger's, ADD/ADHD, seizure disorders, depression and anxiety.
After using different combinations of neurofeedback and sensory integration systems for years in my clinical practice I came across a novel situation. One day a young boy, with the diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome, was walking from the waiting room to the treatment room in obvious pain. He was walking slowly, his eyes were squinting and he was saying very little. I soon found out that he was having a migraine. Much to my amazement after the session was over he was free from pain. His eyes were wide open and he was again smiling and talkative. Prior to this I had not considered that the systems I had been using for other brain abnormalities could be an effective treatment for headaches or migraines. Over the next three years my research led me to an effective protocol for headaches and migraines, which we now refer to as Neuro Sensory Reintegration and which has been successful in 90% of the clients we have treated.
The literature on migraines clearly points to the dysfunction of blood flow to the brain. What my research has shown is that the dysfunction goes much further than just the vascular system. It is this global neurological dysfunction that the Neuro Sensory Reintegration system is addressing.
William G. Collins, Ph.D.
Clinical Director
