Biofeedback is a technique whereby patients are made aware of certain physiological changes in their bodies. For instance, variations in one's blood pressure can be fed back in the form of a varying tone, so that a patient becomes aware of those blood pressure fluctuations. With this awareness, the patient then has a chance of gaining control over that biological function. Hence the name, "biofeedback". By monitoring from various bodily organs, people have been able to gain some control over skeleto-muscular resonses, heart rate, periperal skin temperature, blood pressure, and gastrointestinal, bladder and bowel functions. This technique has proved useful in producing relief in many people with the following disorders:
Tension and migraine headaches
Irritable bowel syndrome
Essential hypertension
Jaw pain (TMJ), as a result of bruxism
Motor tics
General muscle tension
Weakness in muscles, following strokes
The
procedure can be illustrated by using the example of treatment
for tension headaches. These headaches are often the result
of keeping specific muscles in the head area in a tense state,
especially in situations of high stress. The person is usually
unaware of this response. The result can be a series of severe,
persistant headaches that can be debilitating to the individual.
In the treatment for this disorder, several sensors are attached
to the forehead, so that tension in the muscles of head,
jaw and neck can be recorded through these electrodes. This
muscular tension is then converted into a tone, for instance,
so that any increase in the muscular tension results in a
corresponding increase in the tone. Consequently, as the
tension goes up, the tone goes up, and as the tension goes
down, the tone goes down. In this way, the patient is able
to listen to the variations in one's own muscular tension.
The patient then is instructed to reduce the tone in any
way possible, which will correspond to a reduction in the
tension in this area. After only short periods of time, the
patient discovers, by a process of trial and error, how to
relax the jaw, forehead, or neck, to reduce the frequency
of the tone. The patient is informed that any strategy that
reduces the tone is the "right" response. Over a series of
sessions, the patient learns how to keep many of the muscles
in the face, jaw and neck relaxed. As one shows increasing
control, using this biofeedback system, the patient is slowly
weaned away from the machine. The patient learns to rely
on one's own internal signals of relaxation rather than relying
on the external signals from the machine.
Outside the biofeedback situation, patients begin to report that they are now sufficiently aware of facial tension in their everyday lives that they are able to relax in previously tension-producing situations. Most patients show a reduction in the intensity and frequency of tension headaches as they develop this aweness of muscular tension. Studies have shown that many patients can maintain this skill over years, reporting continued success at keeping tension headaches to a minimum.
The biofeedback procedure is sometimes supplemented with other behavior therapy techniques, such as relaxation exercises, stress management exercises, or other tension reducing techniques.
The
procedure can be illustrated by using the example of treatment
for tension headaches. These headaches are often the result
of keeping specific muscles in the head area in a tense state,
especially in situations of high stress. The person is usually
unaware of this response. The result can be a series of severe,
persistant headaches that can be debilitating to the individual.
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