Biofeedback

Excerpts from the entry on Biofeedback in Relieving Pain Naturally by Dr. Sylvia Goldfarb and Roberta W. Waddell. For full entries on all 37 conditions and 27 treatments, order the book.

Biofeedback teaches you how to consciously regulate your involuntary bodily functions, which include blood pressure, brain waves, heart rate, muscle tension, and even your body temperature. These processes are monitored by specialized equipment that feeds back information about your body. For instance, with a biofeedback machine you might see flashing lights or hear a beep whenever your muscles tense. Depending on which body part they are targeting, the machines can vary. They might be blood pressure devices, modified cardiac monitors, electroencephalograph machines (for brain waves), flowmeters (for breathing), motility sensors for gastrointestinal problems, or electrodermal machines for measuring skin temperature. At first the machines help you monitor your responses. When you can see graphically how your body reacts, you can train yourself, with the help of a therapist, to alter the lights or beeps, slowing them down by relaxing your muscles. Eventually you can alter your physiological responses without the machine or the therapist.

Also in this entry:

• The History of Biofeedback
• How Biofeedback Works
• Painful Conditions that Respond Well to Biofeedback
• Advantages of Biofeedback
• How Biofeedback Is Used
• Cautions
• Clinical Studies

See below for full list of all conditions and treatments in the book. Or, download a complete Condition entry or Treatment entry for free.