Biofeedback therapy is a type of mind-body technique that helps people control some of their bodys functions, such as heart rate, breathing patterns, and muscle tension. During a biofeedback session, a practitioner will use a device to measure physiological changes in the patient's body, such as heart rate, brain waves, or muscle tension, and provide feedback to help the patient learn how to control these functions. Biofeedback therapy is non-invasive, and there are no side effects or potential complications.
Biofeedback therapy can help relieve 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, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, breathing problems, digestive issues, insomnia, pain, including headaches, fibromyalgia, and joint and muscle pain, diabetes, epilepsy, high blood pressure, and substance use disorders, such as alcoholism and drug addiction.
There are different types of biofeedback therapy, including electromyography (EMG), which measures muscle tension, thermal biofeedback, which measures skin temperature, and neurofeedback or electroencephalography (EEG), which measures brain wave activity. Biofeedback therapists help patients practice relaxation exercises, which they fine-tune to control different body functions. Several different relaxation exercises are used in biofeedback therapy, including deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation.
Biofeedback therapy is an effective therapy for many conditions, although it is primarily used to treat high blood pressure, tension headache, migraine headache, chronic pain, and urinary incontinence. However, it is important to note that some items might be falsely sold as biofeedback machines, and some people who teach biofeedback may not be certified or have enough training to help patients.
