Biofeedback is a therapy that trains you to be aware of your body and how it works. Then you learn to change those patterns to reduce or eliminate your symptoms. You can learn to control body functions that most people usually don't think of as within their control. Among these are:
Biofeedback may be used to help treat:
Along with medical care, biofeedback can be helpful for:
You only need to accept that you can learn to control your own body to improve your health. You should expect it to take a number of therapy sessions (usually between 6 and 30) to teach you the needed skills.
Your therapist connects you to electronic equipment that gives you information about the body functions you need to learn to control. The equipment gives feedback you can see (usually on a computer or TV screen) or hear (with beeps or tones) on the status of those body functions. During the treatment sessions you will be asked to relax, often in a recliner chair, and pay attention to how you feel and how that changes the information provided by the screen or sounds.
The first one or two sessions are usually spent just getting readings of your usual functioning. This is called your baseline and is used later to measure your progress.
There are 3 common types of biofeedback:
Thermal biofeedback: In this procedure the equipment, usually attached to the hand or foot, measures skin temperature. Skin temperature is a good way to tell how tense or relaxed you are. When you are relaxed, the skin temperature of your hands and feet rises. Problems related to tension such as headaches and pain are often treated well with this form of biofeedback.
Electromyogram (EMG) biofeedback: Small sensors that measure muscle activity are put on your skin of the neck, back, or forehead. This kind of biofeedback may be used to treat problems such as migraine headaches, chronic pain, and anxiety disorders.
Electroencephalogram (EEG) biofeedback: One or more small sensors are placed on your scalp. They measure electrical activity in the brain (called brain waves).
Between biofeedback sessions you may be asked to practice exercises in relaxation or muscle control. This strengthens the learning from treatment sessions. Once you have completed treatment you may need occasional "booster" sessions to help maintain the control you have learned.
Biofeedback is a natural treatment in which you learn to help yourself. It involves no medicines or medical procedures.
The biggest risk is trying to use biofeedback for a problem so serious that medical care should be given first. It is very important to talk to your healthcare provider before stopping other treatment and using only biofeedback.
Call for advice if during the course of biofeedback training your condition gets worse.
