Biofeedback is literally biological feedback, providing information about the body's functions. It is a technique that teaches you to control certain functions of your body. Biofeedback requires sensors that gather information about your body. Based on the feedback received, you can make subtle adjustments, like relaxing specific muscles to reduce pain.
A simple example of biofeedback is learning movements in front of a mirror. You control the movement execution visually and refine it by repeated practice. Biofeedback offers an opportunity to acquire and practice new methods to control your body.
It has many applications. One important use is medical rehabilitation, primarily to aid recovery after loss of function.
Types of Biofeedback
Therapists can choose from various biofeedback methods depending on the health issue and treatment goals.
Biofeedback types include:
- Brainwaves. Sensors placed on the scalp monitor the brain's electrical activity (brainwaves). The device used is an electroencephalograph (EEG).
- Respiration rate. Sensors placed on the abdomen or chest monitor breathing rate and speed.
- Pulse rate. Most commonly, sensors placed on the chest or wrist measure the heart's electrical activity (electrocardiograph, ECG). Pulse and pulse variability can be determined. Sensors on the finger or earlobe detect peripheral pulse and even pulse blood volume changes (device called photoplethysmograph or pulse oximeter).
- Muscle contraction. Sensors placed on skeletal muscles record electrical activity related to muscle contraction using electromyography (EMG).
- Pressure. Pressure sensors inserted into body cavities (vagina, rectum) record pressure generated during contraction.
- Sweat gland activity. Electrodermograph (EDG) sensors attached around fingers, palms, or wrists measure sweat gland activity and sweat quantity on the skin, alerting to anxiety.
- Temperature. Sensors attached to fingers or feet measure blood flow in the skin. Stress causes vasoconstriction, reducing blood flow and body temperature. Monitoring these changes can signal when to start relaxation techniques.
Biofeedback Devices
Previously, biofeedback was mostly used in physiotherapy clinics, medical offices, and hospitals. Now, more devices are available for home use, including:
Heart rate monitors. These help track pulse rate, especially important for heart and lung patients who experience increased pulse with exertion (like work or walking to the store). Using these monitors, patients can find activity intensity where pulse rise is moderate and without discomfort.
Electromyogram (EMG) based devices. These indicate muscle activity. They play a key role in regenerating nerve-muscle connections and relearning motor skills after stroke. They also facilitate relieving stress-induced muscle tension. The method is increasingly popular in treating urinary and fecal incontinence caused by pelvic floor muscle weakness, as real-time feedback significantly improves the effectiveness of pelvic floor exercises. EMG devices also aid stress management by monitoring muscle tension and guiding relaxation.
Pressure based devices assist in regaining control over bowel and bladder functions by monitoring and directing the strengthening of vaginal or anal sphincter muscles. They are also helpful for nerve control recovery after prostate surgery.
Interactive computer programs are rapidly spreading in Western rehabilitation practice. Certain biofeedback devices measure physiological changes, such as hand movement and direction, and connect to a computer. Computer graphics help with muscle relaxation or contraction and assist relearning movements.
Another biofeedback type uses a headband to monitor brain activity, signaling when the mind is calm or active, helping to control stress responses.
What is Biofeedback Used For?
It can be applied in many physical and mental health issues:
- Anxiety or stress (learning stress reduction techniques, stress management)
- Asthma (strengthening breath control)
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (learning focus)
- Chronic pain
- Constipation
- Fecal incontinence (both EMG and pressure biofeedback)
- Fibromyalgia
- Headache
- Hypertension
- Heart disease – monitoring exercise tolerance
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Raynaud's disease
- Tinnitus (ringing in ears)
- Stroke (EMG based devices, ETS help relearn movement and regain muscle strength)
- Temporomandibular joint disorders
- Urinary retention issues (both EMG and pressure biofeedback)
Benefits of Biofeedback
- Non-invasive (gathers data from the body's surface and causes no discomfort)
- May reduce or eliminate the need for certain medications
- Can enhance medication effects
- Helps people who cannot take medication during pregnancy, for example
- Assists better health control and management
