Biofeedback therapy is a form of training program that teaches patients how to control involuntary physiological processes (both mental and physical) that lead to painful sensations and suffering. Biofeedback is defined as “a mind–body technique in which individuals learn how to regulate their physiology for the purpose of promoting physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health,” according to a paper published in Mental Health in Family Medicine.
Below are the top 5 benefits of having a biofeedback therapy;
CHRONIC HEADACHES ARE REDUCED
Clinical studies have demonstrated that biofeedback can reduce the frequency and intensity of tension and migraine headaches by lowering one’s stress reaction. Biofeedback training helped many patients reduce their reliance on pain drugs and experience less discomfort overall, according to a Harvard Medical School study. (However, studies discovered that teaching patients general relaxation skills without employing biofeedback had similar results.)
The Harvard study’s participants also taught pain theories and relaxation strategies. A fraction of the group also received further biofeedback training knowledge. In the first 12 months, all patients saw a statistically significant reduction in headache frequency and severity, which lasted for 36 months. Both groups said they used fewer medications and spent less money on medical care.
AIDS IN DIGESTION REGULATION
Biofeedback therapy is a well-established treatment option for patients suffering from various types of persistent constipation (including dyssynergic defecation and fecal incontinence). According to randomized controlled trials, 70 to 80 percent of all patients who receive specialist biofeedback training at treatment centers improve their symptoms.
Biofeedback is increasingly being used by therapists to teach people with recurrent constipation how to better perceive and control the muscles in their digestive tract that control bowel movements. Biofeedback procedures, for example, can help with reduced rectal sensation and inadequate capacity to contract abdominal muscles. Although there are still challenges to biofeedback in the general population (such as lack of insurance coverage, distance to local treatment facilities, and acute medical difficulties), researchers are working on ways to make this therapy more inexpensive for patients suffering from major digestive problems.
Another study found that both home-based and office-based biofeedback therapy were effective for “number of complete spontaneous bowel movements per week as well as patient satisfaction with bowel function.” Studies like these show the potential to expand the availability of biofeedback therapy through home sessions without compromising efficacy.
ANXIETY IS REDUCED
Patients who receive biofeedback become more aware of how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact. This is why it’s usually used in conjunction with other therapies to lessen someone’s stress response, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or mindfulness meditation training.
Biofeedback therapy is a training process, as opposed to some forms of treatment, such as drugs. Patients are taught to pay closer attention to how stress affects their bodies by trained therapists. Anxiety, for example, causes a person’s heart rate to increase, muscles to tense, and the mind to worry. As a result, sleep and relaxation become difficult. Relaxation is best enforced when symptoms are actively tracked and learned to lessen them over and over again utilizing feedback as a guide.
PAIN ELIMINATION (WITHOUT PILLS)
Given how much emphasis has been paid to the potential for addiction of pain-killing medicines, finding nonpharmacological ways for regulating both short-term (acute) and chronic pain is now more crucial than ever.
Neurofeedback (also known as EEG-biofeedback) is a sort of biofeedback that is being used in numerous therapy settings as an alternate way for pain relief. It’s being used to treat strokes, PTSD, headaches, injuries, chronic muscle tension, diabetic neuropathic pain, and cancer recovery, among other things. According to some studies, the greatest advantages are obtained after 40 to 60 training sessions. According to some research, depending on the situation, this quantity can reduce pain by up to 50%. Thankfully, research suggests that it is beneficial to both children and adults.
HEART HEALTH IS IMPROVED
Biofeedback therapy has been shown in studies to help with heart rate variability and sympathetic nervous system activation. Many of the physical repercussions of a person’s stress response are caused by this neuro-cardio combination. Biofeedback training is also beneficial in the treatment of problems associated with cardiovascular disease, including as anxiety, insomnia, and depression.
Biofeedback-assisted stress management (BFSM) is a type of biofeedback that is specifically designed to help people manage cardiovascular problems. Its goal is to reduce autonomic nervous system overactivity. (Over-activation can harm the heart.) This therapeutic approach could help persons with heart disease minimize psychologic stress, improve their quality of life, and improve their clinical status. According to a 2011 study published in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, using BFSM by heart failure patients can trigger cellular and molecular remodeling of the failing heart, change aberrant heart rate variability, and reduce side effects from a significant chronic disease.
Final Thoughts!
Be sure to focus on your holistic health this 2022 and for the coming years. Before you begin training, consult with a therapist to ensure that the biofeedback type is appropriate for your situation. The more information a therapist has about your medical history and symptoms, the more likely they are to use the most appropriate form of biofeedback and combine sessions with other helpful therapies.
