Biofeedback training teaches essentially how to read your own body and know how your body works, how to consciously change and control the body's vital functions that are normally unconscious, such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure, through information provided by electronic devices. An interesting result of someone being able to know their body's systems is that they can end up controlling more muscles than were previously thought to be controllable - they can see what happens and are able to gain control over such things as their own heart, breath rhythm in stressful situations , and muscle tension
Biofeedback is a relatively new field. It was only during the late 1960's that scientists believed that these normally unconscious, autonomic functions could be voluntarily controlled.
How Biofeedback Works
Electrodes are placed on the client's skin. The client is then instructed to use relaxation, meditation, or visualization to bring about the desired response, whether it is muscle relaxation, lowered heart rate, or lower temperature. The biofeedback device reports progress by a change in the speed of beeps or flashes, or pitch or quality of the tone. The results of biofeedback are measured in the following ways:
- skin temperature
- electrical conductivity of the skin, called the galvanic skin response
- muscle tension, with an electromyography (EMG)
- heart rate, with an electrocardiograph (ECG)
Temperature biofeedback therapy - In this therapy sensors are attached to your finger or feet. Measures skin temperature and is used to treat circulatory disorders including high blood pressure and migraine headaches.
Electromyogram feedback - This therapy uses electrodes to measure muscle tension and also used to treat stress related illness. It is used especially to teach how to relax the muscles involved in neck pain, headaches, and backaches and grinding your teeth.
Galvanic skin response biofeedback - This therapy measures the activity of sweat glands, and is used to treat anxiety related illness like phobias and stuttering.
