Some people hear the term biofeedback and wonder what it means. Biofeedback means a lot to all of us, since it is a new tactic used in physical therapy to control pain and anxiety.

The concepts behind biofeedback are to influence the abilities to control natural functions of the body and mind. Our inner mind is used to help find ways to control pain and anxiety.

Biofeedback is a form of mind over matter. It’s a physiological control tactic used through monitoring devices, which display data regarding the operation of bodily functions. The devices will monitor blood pressure, heart rate, which is not usually controlled by the conscious but can be.

In just a few short days, using biofeedback patients can learn to control their bodily functions by focusing on temperature. Body temperature works by using one hand, such as the left hand to invoke a rise in temperature up to 10 degrees higher than the normal temperature of the patient’s right hand. The patient contracts the muscles in the hand to control his or her body temperature.

Scientists used a variety of test to see where rising the body temperature would leave them. Applications were used to test animals and people. It was found that when human beings warmed the hands above normal a migraine was triggered by circuits in the brain. 

During the tests scientists learned that the blood engorged the blood vessels and triggered migraine headaches. The discovery during this test resulted in stopping or slowing headaches.

Using biofeedback patients can be trained to relieve migraines or headaches in less then a week. Using biofeedback physiological therapists focus on chronic tensions that invoke migraine headaches. This too must be treated to eliminate headaches. The concept is to teach patients how to relax.

Using biofeedback patients, can block pain stemming from neuritis, colitis and related disorders. Scientists have proven many of the tactics used in biofeedback, proven beyond doubt that if a person can control body temperature and tension through the mind he or she can also control anxiety and pain.

How does it work? Experiments lead scientists to design devices to help patients learn to control what are considered autonomic responses. Special equipment is used that make up sensory components that record a person’s contractions in the muscles and the skin temperature..

The patient is trained to control involuntary processing that includes blood pressure and heart rate. When stressed the  heart beats faster and blood pressure goes up.  Feedback is used to help the patient recognize which muscle groups control various facets of the body. The stress responses are controlled using biofeedback tactics. Involuntary response is a tactic used to treat asthmatic symptoms, migraines, common headaches, and related conditions.

About the machines.

Biofeedback uses EMG or Electromyograms to get feedback to assist experts in helping patients to control anxiety and pain. EMG or Electromyograms measure tension in the muscles. Using dual sensors or electrodes, the machines are attached to the skin and over the structure of the muscles and then monitored.

The frontal muscles, which makes up the frown muscles, the forehead muscles and the jaw muscles or masseters are monitored in biofeedback. The shoulder muscles, or trapezium muscles are monitored as well. When we hunch the shoulders, it causes stress. The equipment used in biofeedback focuses on these muscles in an effort to find tactics the patient can use to control his or her pain and anxiety. Patients who have suffered paralysis from strokes are also treated with biofeedback.