What is Biofeedback Therapy and how does it help?
What is Biofeedback Therapy?
Biofeedback is a technique that uses visual or auditory feedback to gain control over involuntary bodily functions such as blood flow, heart rate, pain perception, muscle tension, and blood pressure.
These subtle changes result in desired effects like treating migraines, hypertension, headaches, controlling the blood pressure, alleviating digestive disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome; along with aiding with relaxation and stress management.
Biofeedback is quite useful for various mental health conditions. Here are some of the major benefits of biofeedback therapy to a patient:
Chronic pain – Biofeedback helps you identify any tense muscles and then teaches you to relax them, this will help relieve any discomfort or issues that affect the lower back, abdomen, and joints. Biofeedback techniques are great for people of all ages, from children to senior citizens.
Headaches- Headaches are the most studied ailments that are treated by biofeedback psychology. Migraines are triggered by stress and muscle tension, which also triggers other types of headaches that can make the symptoms more intense.
There is positive evidence that biofeedback pain relief therapy can relax muscles and ease stress; this will reduce the intensity and frequency of headaches as well. A biofeedback specialist will help treat headaches and combine psychological treatment with medications.
Anxiety- Relief from anxiety is one of the most common uses of biofeedback. This form of therapy will help you be more aware of your body and how it responds to stress and anxiety. Once you are aware, you will learn how to control the responses.
Urinary control- When Biofeedback therapy is used properly it can help people who experience trouble controlling the urge to urinate. Biofeedback is beneficial to women, especially after giving birth, because it helps them strengthen their pelvic floor muscles that control the emptying of the bladder.
After many sessions of biofeedback, women will be able to control the urge to urinate. Biofeedback will also help children who wet the bed and patients who are unable to control their bowel movements. Biofeedback therapy doesn’t cause any side effects, unlike prescription drugs that are used to treat incontinence.
