Biofeedback Technique

Biofeedback Technique

Biofeedback is a technique in which people are trained to improve their health by learning to control certain internal bodily processes that normally occur involuntarily, such as heart rate blood pressure, muscle tension, and skin temperature. These activities can be measured with electrodes and displayed on a monitor that both the participant and his or her practitioner can see. The monitor provides feedback to the participant about the internal workings of his or her body. This person can then be taught to use this information to gain control over these “involuntary” activities. Biofeedback is an effective therapy for many conditions, but it is primarily used to treat high blood pressure, tension headache, migraine headache, chronic pain, and urinary incontinence.

The three most commonly used forms of biofeedback therapy are:

* Electromyography (EMG), which measures muscle tension
* Thermal biofeedback, which measures skin temperature
* Neurofeedback or electroencephalography (EEG), which measures brain wave activity

Many scientists believe that relaxation is key to successful biofeedback therapy. When a body is repeatedly stressed, internal processes like blood pressure become overactive. Guided by a biofeedback therapist, a person can learn to lower his or her blood pressure through relaxation techniques and mental exercises. When a person successfully relaxes and lowers his or her blood pressure, the feedback signals reflect this accomplishment. This acts as affirmation and encouragement for the person’s continued efforts.

In a normal biofeedback session, electrodes are attached to the skin. These electrodes then feed information to a small monitoring box that translates the physiologic responses into a tone that varies in pitch, a visual meter that varies in brightness, or a computer screen that varies the lines moving across a grid. The biofeedback therapist then leads the person in mental exercises. Through trial and error, people can soon learn to identify and control the mental activities that will bring about the desired physical changes.

Biofeedback may also be useful for the following health problems:

* anorexia nervosa
* anxiety
* asthma
* autism
* back pain
* bed wetting
* chronic pain
* constipation
* depression
* diabetes
* fecal incontinence
* epilepsy and related seizure disorders
* head injuries
* high blood pressure
* learning disabilities
* motion sickness
* muscle spasms
* sexual disorders, including pain with intercourse
* spinal cord injuries