What if you could recognize and learn how to alter your brain’s response to pain. Biofeedback offers an alternative approach that can help you do just that.
The management of chronic pain often involves combining or involving several professional specializations in an approach to minimize or eliminate the debilitating effects of pain. The main objective being to increase physical mobility, overseeing the use of medications (perhaps, introducing safe alternative medicines to reduce the long term effects of strong medications), and re-educating the person suffering with chronic pain strategies that support the totality of body and mind.
Mind Media: The Future of Biofeedback and Pain
For further information regarding the video above, here is a direct link to the Mind Media website. The Physiological Monitoring and Biofeedback Company, creating the future of Biofeedback and Pain.
The application of Biofeedback is used to deal with a diverse range of disorders including chronic pain and movement inhibited by the strain of ongoing pain, however it is most typically used in treating chronic disorders – ie; back pain. Biofeedback and pain succeeds by recognizing and learning how to alter your brain’s response to pain.
Biofeedback requires that the full participation of the person in order to harness the effectiveness of this treatment. Electrical sensors, which are connected to monitoring equipment are applied to specific points on the body. During a session, habitual patterns of the body (often unconscious) “feed back” information using electronic instrumentation. The Biofeedback Practitioner will then coach the person having the treatment mental and physical exercises, visualization and deep breathing to alleviate a specific disorder, i.e: chronic lower back pain.
It’s important to note that biofeedback does not work for everyone, which is why your strategy for managing chronic pain in most cases involves exploring a combined approach to several modalities. A significant aspect of Biofeedback is that it is a noninvasive process that can be used to educate people how to manage and change physical symptoms, whereby previously the pain may have been unmanageable.
The Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, states that: Biofeedback is a process that enables an individual to learn how to change physiological activity for the purposes of improving health and performance. Precise instruments measure physiological activity such as brainwaves, heart function, breathing, muscle activity, and skin temperature. These instruments rapidly and accurately “feed back” information to the user. The presentation of this information — often in conjunction with changes in thinking, emotions, and behavior — supports desired physiological changes. Over time, these changes can endure without continued use of an instrument.
There have been 100′s of clinical studies that support biofeedback can assist and/or eliminate chronic pain either by resolving the root problem causing the pain or by substantially diminishing the stress that contributes to it.
There are 2 types of Biofeedback:
- Electromyography (EMG). This type of biofeedback uses a device that measures muscle tension while you practice a relaxation technique, such as meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, or visualization.
- Peripheral temperature or hand temperature biofeedback. This type of biofeedback uses a device that measures the skin temperature of your hands while you try to increase it, often through visualization or guided imagery.
Is biofeedback Safe?
Biofeedback is a safe procedure. Although rare, it’s worth noting that some people may have a reaction to the sensors placed on the skin.
As always, consult with your treating doctor if you intend to implement Biofeedback in your pain management strategy, or even if you are considering combining or involving several professional specializations in an approach to minimize or eliminate the debilitating effects of pain.
The next article in this series of Alternative Medicine for Back Pain, will continue with the topic of Bowen Therapy and how it can offer relief in the management of back pain.
Image Credit: [Biofeedback and Pain] Gerard
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“Live Your Best Life!”
Patryc Lampasi
Co-Founder of The HeartBridge® Process
www.heartbridge.com.au © 2010
