What's biofeedback?

Biofeedback is the process of gaining greater awareness of many physiological functions of one's own body by using electronic or other instruments, and with a goal of being able to manipulate the body's systems at will. Humans conduct biofeedback naturally all the time, at varied levels of consciousness and intentionality. Biofeedback and the biofeedback loop can also be thought of as self-regulation.

You may not realize it, but when you have pain or are under stress, your body changes. Your heart rate may increase, you may breathe faster, and your muscles tighten. Biofeedback helps you make slight changes in your body, such as relaxing muscles, to help relieve pain or reduce tension. You may be able to decrease your heart rate and breathing, which can make you feel better. Biofeedback can give you the skills to practice new ways to control your body. This can improve a health problem or help make daily activities easier.

Biofeedback tries to teach you to control automatic body functions such as heart rate, muscle tension, breathing, perspiration, skin temperature, blood pressure and even brain waves. By learning to control these functions, you may be able to improve your medical condition, relieve chronic pain, reduce stress, or improve your physical or mental performance (sometimes called peak performance training).

Some of the processes that can be controlled include brainwaves, muscle tone, skin conductance, heart rate and pain perception.

During biofeedback training, sensors attached to your body detect changes in your pulse, skin temperature, muscle tone, brain-wave pattern or some other physiological function. These changes trigger a signal a sound, a flashing light, and a change in pattern on a video screen that tells you that the physiological change has occurred. Gradually, with the help of your biofeedback therapist, you can learn to alter the signal by taking conscious control of your body's automatic body functions.

Types of biofeedback:

• Breathing. During breathing biofeedback, bands are placed around your stomach and chest. Sensors on the bands check your breathing rate and patterns. You can control your breathing and feel better.

• Brain waves. During this type of biofeedback, an electroencephalograph (EEG) uses scalp pads to monitor your brain waves. There are certain brain waves that show different mental states, such as relaxation, wakefulness and sleep. With biofeedback training, you can see a change in the brain waves that improve your health.

• Heart rate. In this type of biofeedback, pads are placed on your chest, lower trunk or wrists. These pads are connected to an electrocardiogram (ECG) that measures your heart rate and how your heart rate changes. A sensor also can be placed on your finger to measure your heart rate. When you are relaxed, your heart rate may decrease.

• Muscle activity. A machine called an electromyograph (EMG) uses sensors to measure muscle tightening. This helps make you aware of muscle tension so you can take steps to control it.

• Sweat gland activity. Pads attached to the fingers, palm or wrist measure the activity of the sweat glands. The amount of perspiration on your skin warns you of nervousness.

• Temperature. Pads attached to your fingers or feet measure blood flow to your skin. Because your temperature often drops when you're under stress, a low reading can prompt you to begin relaxation methods. As you become more relaxed, your fingers and toes may become warmer.

• Heart rate variability (HRA). This measures heart rate. It may be used for anxiety, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and irregular heartbeat.

Biofeedback is aimed at combating stress through relaxation techniques. You consciously manipulate your breathing, heart rate, and other usually “involuntary” functions to override your body’s response to stressful situations.

Biofeedback appears to be most effective for conditions that are heavily influenced by stress. Some examples include: learning disorders, eating disorders, bedwetting, and muscles spasms.

Why it's done

Biofeedback, sometimes called biofeedback training, helps many physical and mental health problems, including:

• Nervousness or stress.

• Asthma.

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

• Side effects from drugs to treat cancer.

• Long-lasting pain.

• Constipation.

• Loss of bowel control, also known as fecal incontinence.

• Fibromyalgia.

• Headache.

• High blood pressure.

• Irritable bowel syndrome.

• Raynaud's disease.

• Ringing in the ears, also called tinnitus.

• Stroke.

• Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ).

• Urinary incontinence and trouble passing urine.

• Depression

Electrical sensors that connect to a monitor will be hooked up to your body. The sensors measure one or more signs of stress. This can include heart rate, muscle tension, or body temperature. The measurements provide feedback about how your body responds to different stimuli.

A biofeedback therapist can teach you how to lower your heart rate through breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and mental exercises. You can measure the results of these techniques and exercises on the monitor. This encourages more positive reactions and relaxation.

A typical biofeedback session lasts between 30 and 60 minutes. The number of sessions needed to resolve an issue will vary depending on a number of factors, including how quickly you learn to control your physical responses.

The goal of biofeedback is to learn to use these methods at home on your own without a machine or sensors.

Biofeedback appeals to people for a variety of reasons:

• There's no surgery involved.

• It might lower or end the need for medicines.

• It might make medicines work better.

• It might help when medicines can't be used, such as in pregnancy.

• It helps people feel more in control of their health.

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