Shari Small | KSBY

Healing the body through the mind. Thirteen years ago Donna May was diagnosed with reflex sympathetic dystrophy, a chronic pain disorder.

"I had back surgeries, had cryogenics, been electrocuted, basically done everything the doctor's could possibly do," explained May.

To make matters worse, a neck injury from a car accident last year added to her pain. So she turned to an alternative therapy for relief.

It's called neurofeedback.

"The brain gets overwhelmed, as it gets overwhelmed, it starts to interpret every signal that's coming to it as painful," explained James Seay, RN, Neurotopia director. "We re-train the brain to teach it how to interpret signals correctly."

First, the client's brain is compared to a normative brain. This brain mapping is a baseline to guide the treatment.

A computer reads Donna's brain waves as she watches a video. When the targeted section of the brain is functioning optimally, a space ship on the screen will fly.

Donna admits she doesn't know how it works.

"All of the depression that comes with the chronic disease was gone. I don't know why, and I don't know how it happened," said Donna.

On a ten point scale, she says her pain has gone from a ten to a two.

"We can manipulate the brain waves in certain areas, and as we do that we start to affect how they feel, how they functioning, what they're doing," said Seay.

Donna has had 28 treatment sessions.

Neurotherapy is not FDA approved or covered by most insurance companies. Treatments start at $125 dollars a session.

Package prices are available.