biofeedback therapy

Biofeedback acts as a window into the body, enabling us to "see" bodily processes that are ordinarily not visible. Sophisticated electronic instruments are used to monitor physiological responses such as muscle tension, skin temperature, sweat gland activity, and cardiovascular and respiratory patterns. The instrument turns this information into meaningful data and "feeds it back" to the individual via a computer monitor. The computer presents the data visually so the responses can be easily understood and learning connections can be made by the individual.

Patients at Oasis Center for Health work closely with the biofeedback therapist who helps interpret the data and teaches what it reflects regarding the patient's own physiological activity. The data is then used to guide patients through sessions which teach greater control of this activity for the purpose of reducing symptoms or improving performance. A variety of mind-body exercises will be taught during sessions depending on individual therapeutic or training needs. As patients learn better control, they are better able to meet medical and/or personal health and performance goals.

Biofeedback therapy sessions are designed to build on one another for progressive learning and advancement of skill and control. Sessions customarily begin with one to two sessions per week and taper as control improves. The frequency of sessions and duration of training will vary depending on the condition and/or application, but most patients will average between six and twelve sessions. No matter what the application is, the primary goal of biofeedback therapy is improved self-regulation.

Example of Biofeedback Therapy

Biofeedback therapy varies from one individual to another, based on needs and goals. However, to help explain the process, below is an example of how biofeedback may alleviate muscle tension headaches, or any muscle-related pain, two of the many diagnoses in which it can benefit:

At the initial biofeedback therapy consultation, the biofeedback therapist will conduct an interview that is intended to generate necessary information to clarify the nature of the condition, review lifestyle habits and related issues, and formulate appropriate clinical or training protocol. If necessary, physiological monitoring may be used for further clarification or patient education. In this case, monitoring of scalp, jaw, neck, or shoulder musculature may be utilized. As a result of this initial assessment, a protocol is recommended and treatment or training objectives are explained. Common treatment objectives for reducing headache activity or muscle-related pain will include improving sensory awareness of tension in these areas when it is developing, and learning how to reduce it before it causes pain.

The first session will include placing sensors on the skin over muscles which are thought to be involved in the disruption causing the pain. The sensors are connected to an instrument which interfaces with a computer and visually displays the muscle activity. The patient learns about the muscle's function through discussion and then will learn about its behavior through viewing the computer monitor. The feedback will show if the patient is unconsciously tightening the muscle or if it doesn't relax easily after it is used. These are both common causes for unnecessary discomfort and pain. By using this real-time data, the biofeedback therapist helps alert patients to their unconscious muscle habits when it is happening. At the same time, the therapist will guide the patient through muscle awareness, relaxation and control techniques to improve how the muscle responds. The computer data provides instant feedback on the patient's success. In this way, patients learn how to recognize and control a once-unconscious response and begin to use their new awareness and control during daily routine.

Subsequent sessions will reinforce this new awareness and advance the skill needed to regain control of the muscle disruption. In addition to receiving feedback from muscle activity, information regarding the state of the nervous system may be used to learn how to reduce activation of trigger points in the musculature. Trigger point activation is another source of recurring pain that can be controlled through self-regulation.

Benefits of Biofeedback Therapy

Because biofeedback addresses the physiological patterns that can cause symptoms or inhibit health or performance, it is used to treat a variety of medical and mental health disorders, improve stress and pain management, aid physical rehabilitation, and enhance sport, academic, and artistic performance. The following are some examples of medical and mental health disorders that biofeedback therapy can be recommended for:

The following are fundamental self-regulatory skills that are improved when biofeedback training is used for performance enhancement:

• self-awareness
• mental focusing
• emotional control
• motor control
• relaxation

The Mind-Body Connection

As you have read thus far, you can see that biofeedback training and therapy is a process that improves how the mind and body work together. Through this process one will become more mindful of unconscious habits, emotion, and/or thoughts and will discover how all of these can manifest in physiological activity. This process thus allows one to improve control of not just the physical responses, but also of the psychological triggers or stimuli. Seeing how thoughts and emotions affect physiology is a powerful tool for improving our health and how we move and behave. Therefore biofeedback can be used to reduce physiological dysregulation that causes symptoms and illness, or for further enhancing wellness and vitality.

Insurance Coverage

Biofeedback therapy has been an eligible benefit in various insurance plans for either medical or mental health diagnoses since the 1980s. Some plans have specified certain diagnoses that will be covered and others will require proof of medical necessity (letter or prescription from doctor). Due to the wide variety of insurance plans and the differences in eligibility criteria, one needs to check with their insurance company's customer service representative to clarify when biofeedback is eligible or if it is specifically excluded.