One controlled study supports the efficacy of using biofeedback to help treat low back pain. 13 However, more studies need be conducted before a singular suggested means of administering this treatment can be concluded.
Some functions in the body occur automatically, outside of conscious control (such as heart rate and blood pressure). Biofeedback is a method of making those “involuntary” processes something you can do at will.
The basic method is quite simple. In biofeedback, a machine gives you direct information regarding the bodily process in question (the “feedback” part of the term “biofeedback”). Given this information, you can find a way to control it, just like you can learn to wiggle your ears if you try hard enough.
Some functions in the body occur automatically, outside of conscious control (such as heart rate and blood pressure). Biofeedback is a method of making those “involuntary” processes something you can do at will.
The basic method is quite simple. In biofeedback, a machine gives you direct information regarding the bodily process in question (the “feedback” part of the term “biofeedback”). Given this information, you can find a way to control it, just like you can learn to wiggle your ears if you try hard enough.
Having high blood pressure and/or heart rate might contribute to the anxiety associated with panic disorder. One type of biofeedback might include having your heart rate displayed on a screen. Blood pressure naturally goes up and down from time to time. When it goes down, you’ll notice that and feel pleased; when it goes up, you’ll feel displeased. Pleasure and displeasure act like the reward and punishment technique used for training animals. When a rat in a maze is rewarded with food for going the right way and given an electric shock for going the wrong way, it will soon learn to go the right way. Similarly, the unconscious parts of the nervous system figure out a way to get a "reward" instead of receive "punishment." In the case just described, this means reducing blood pressure.
The display screen provides the feedback because normally we can’t detect our own blood pressure. Using a machine to provide that information allows the person to achieve conscious control. This process generally works, at least to a modest extent. After a number of sessions, most people reach a place where they can lower their blood pressure simply by thinking, “I want my blood pressure to fall.” They don’t know how they're doing it (any more than ear wigglers know how they’ve accomplished that); nonetheless, they can cause the desired effect.
In addition to measuring blood pressure and heart rate, there are biofeedback machines in fairly common use that measure muscle tension, skin temperature, skin resistance to electricity, and brain wave activity.
Biofeedback training is done in specialized labs. During the session, the therapist applies electrical sensors on different areas of the patient's body, such as the abdomen, head or other body parts, and will be hooked to the biofeedback machine. These sensors monitors body functions such as heart rate, body temperature and blood pressure. The information is fed back to the patient as cues, such as a beeping sound or a flashing light. The therapist gives instruction on different ways, both mental and physical, to help control the body's physiological reactions.
A biofeedback session can last for 30 to 60 minutes. The length and number of sessions will depend on your condition and how quickly you learn to control your body's responses. After weeks of practice, the biofeedback machines are no longer needed, and you can practice the techniques on your own.
One study showed that alpha, theta and alpha-theta enhancements are effective treatments of the anxiety disorders.12
Probably the most common use of biofeedback is to treat stress and stress-related conditions, including anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, muscle pain, migraine headaches, and tension headaches.
