Migraine headaches are a neurological condition, can last a few hours or a few agonizing days, and are recurring. The exact cause of migraines is unknown, but they are believed to result from abnormal activity temporarily affecting nerve signals, chemicals, and blood vessels in the brain. The condition is thought to develop from a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Genetics plays a big role in migraines and variations in several genes have been found to be associated with the condition. These genes make people more sensitive to changes in their environment and lifestyle which can lead to triggers that bring on migraines.
Most people who have migraines find that there are certain triggers for them, such as stress, sleep disruption, hormones, caffeine and alcohol, weather, diet, light, smells, etc. Everyone has different triggers, and when a person can identify their specific ones, they can effectively manage and avoid migraines better.
Because neurofeedback can create new brain pathways, turn down brain activity, and retrain how the brain responds to stimuli, it can greatly decrease migraine pain and frequency.
When this happens, the fear circuit in your brain can get stuck “on” which results in your brain releasing a constant supply of stress hormones and producing an overabundance of the brainwaves indicative of stress and anxiety. Pretty soon, a non-specific undercurrent of stress, racing thoughts, of “something not being right” becomes your brain’s normal mode, and you begin experiencing the physical symptoms and behavioral problems associated with anxiety.
In one study using neurofeedback training on people with recurrent migraines, 54 percent of participants experienced a complete cessation of their migraines, and 39 percent experienced a reduction in migraine frequency of greater than 50 percent.¹ Another study concluded:
“All combined neuro and biofeedback interventions were effective in reducing the frequency of migraines with clients using medication resulting in a more favorable outcome (70 percent experiencing at least a 50 percent reduction in headaches) than just medications alone (50 percent experience a 50 percent reduction) and that the effect size of our study involving three different types of biofeedback for migraine (1.09) was more robust than effect size of combined studies on thermal biofeedback alone for migraine (.5). These non-invasive interventions may show promise for treating treatment-refractory migraine and for preventing the progression from episodic to chronic migraine.”²
Frequently Asked Questions
About Migraines
We’ve gathered a list of commonly asked questions about Migraines, for your convenience. If you don’t see the information you need, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Simply click on the question that interests you to navigate directly to the relevant section.
Migraine brains tend to be hyperreactive — they respond too intensely to normal stimulation, then cycle into a migraine event. Neurofeedback trains the brain to stay in a more stable, regulated state. Published research on qEEG-guided neurofeedback for recurrent migraine has shown meaningful reductions in frequency and severity, and this matches what we see in our studio.
Most clients do not see a sudden stop. They usually see migraines become less frequent first, then less intense when they do occur, then shorter in duration. By the end of a full training series, many clients are having migraines rarely enough that they had to stop and think about when their last one was.
Preventive medications work chemically and require ongoing use. Neurofeedback trains the brain’s own regulation system, so the benefits tend to hold after training ends. Many clients use both during the training period and then reduce or stop the preventive medication in coordination with their doctor once the training has taken hold.
Often yes. Chronic daily headache and migraine share underlying patterns of brain hyperreactivity and poor regulation. We train the underlying pattern, and both types of headache tend to respond.
Most migraine clients start noticing reductions somewhere between sessions 10 and 20. Full benefit typically comes between 30 and 40 sessions. Migraine responds well, but it is not instant — the brain needs time to build the new pattern.
That is not what it is designed for. Neurofeedback is preventive training — it makes your brain less likely to go into a migraine state in the first place. Acute migraine relief remains in the hands of your physician and rescue medications.
No. Keep taking whatever your doctor has prescribed. As your migraines improve, you and your doctor may choose to adjust medications — that conversation belongs between the two of you.
Grey’s Plan — The Most Complete
Brain Training We Offer
If you want the most comprehensive, all-inclusive, guided solution for focus, behavior, and overall brain health—for your child or yourself, Grey’s Plan gives you everything needed to make the next 4 months the turning point.
Neurofeedback alone is powerful.
But when you combine brain training with gut testing, clinical oversight, and unlimited support, results come faster, smoother, and last longer.
Sources: 1. Walker JE. QEEG-guided neurofeedback for recurrent migraine headaches. Clin EEG Neurosci. 2011 Jan;42(1):59-61. doi: 10.1177/155005941104200112. PMID: 21309444. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21309444/
2. Stokes DA, Lappin MS. Neurofeedback and biofeedback with 37 migraineurs: a clinical outcome study. Behav Brain Funct. 2010 Feb 2;6:9. doi: 10.1186/1744-9081-6-9. PMID: 20205867; PMCID: PMC2826281. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20205867/