The term biofeedback refers to a technique where a person receives extra feedback about the state that their body is in. This feedback can take the form of a tone that varies in pitch, lights that turn on and off, or a line on a computer screen. A common form of biofeedback, EMG biofeedback, provides the person with feedback on how tense their muscles are. If computerized biofeedback equipment is used the user sees a line on computer screen that represents their muscle tension. Their job is to do whatever works to make the line get lower. By making the line get lower they are learning how to relax their muscles. This form of biofeedback as frequently used for people with headaches. Another form of biofeedback used for some people who have migraine headaches is temperature biofeedback. In this form of biofeedback a person is learning to warm their hands. Warming the hands diverts blood into the hands. When there's more blood in the hands there is less blood in the head. Migraine headaches are very complex, but one component of migraine appears to be constriction and the dilation of blood vessels in the head. As a person learns to redirect blood to the hands they are less likely to have a migraine headache.
Biofeedback is not an active form of treatment. Nothing is being done to you when you are hooked-up to biofeedback equipment. You are simply being given some extra feedback about state that your body is is in. It's then your job to use this feedback to make some changes in your body. The brain is very complex. There are connections in the brain between many different areas, and many of these connections are not usually taken advantage of. Parts of the brain control automatic functions in the body such as heart rate, breathing, body fluid regulation and regulation of temperature and blood flow. Through biofeedback a person is learning to gain control of these automatic functions. They are learning to use connections in the brain that exist, but that are not often used.
Biofeedback is sometimes used as an adjunct treatment for people with anxiety. Biofeedback-assisted relaxation trading can help people with anxiety learn to relax. By seeing some aspects of their body on computer screen or hearing a tone that increases and decreases in pitch they are able to relax their autonomic nervous system and calm down their body.
Biofeedback is also used in some chronic pain programs. Muscle tension biofeedback assists people in relaxing muscles which may cause pain or contribute to pain. It is not that for all types of pain, and a physician or psychologist who has trained in biofeedback can help you decide whether biofeedback would be helpful for your pain. Research suggests that biofeedback is often helpful for migraine headaches, tension headaches, neck and shoulder pain, Raynaud's disease, attention deficit and hyperactivity, epilepsy, essential hypertension, incontinence, and anxiety disorders. Biofeedback is usually not particularly helpful for low back pain. Low back pain has not usually involve a large amount of constant muscle tension....
