How does Biofeedback Work?

Biofeedback works by enabling the patient to gain control over muscles, blood vessels and other bodily systems, which ordinarily cannot be controlled voluntarily.

When a young child begins to drink from a cup, the child’s vision and sense of touch provide constant “feedback” of information used to adjust the grip and movement of the arms and hands. The reason we cannot voluntarily control the blood flow or temperature of our hands is because our conscious mind originally receives no special sensations (or feedback) signaling an increase of temperature and blood flow. Therefore, we do not know what sort of sensations we should recreate to produce hand warming.

The Biofeedback instruments are used to present the patient with visual or auditory feedback signal when the hands become warmer and blood flow increases. The patient can then use the conscious mind to “recreate” the mental sensations accompanying the feedback signal of hand warming. The ability to warm ones hands at will is then learned.

Migraine headaches are related to painfully expanded blood vessels in the brain. They can be relieved or prevented by learning the conditioned adaptation-relaxation reflex. This keeps the peripheral vessels expanded, thus preventing the painful expansion of vessels in the cranium. This is the general principle behind the biofeedback treatment of migraine headaches. The same cardio-vascular technique is used for Raynaud’s Disease, hypertension and many other conditions.

Clinicians have found that Biofeedback Therapy works best when a patient is in a relaxed state, mentally and physically. For this reason, all patients learn general relaxation (autogenic training) along with the specific Biofeedback Therapy for their disorder. Relaxation should be practiced regularly for 15 minutes twice a day (usually morning and evening). If specific symptoms develop (e.g., headache), the patient should immediately initiate the methods designed to relieve the patient’s symptoms. If seriously and regularly practiced, Biofeedback and Relaxation Response are highly successful.

Most patients come to us using medications regularly. They are not asked to stop medications until they feel ready. They are then asked to withdraw the medications gradually. Occasionally, it is necessary for us to prescribe medications such as analgesics, anti-inflammatory medications, steroids or anti-depressants. This is always done on a temporary basis. In the case of cluster headaches, we use alternative modalities along with a stress reduction program.

What is Stress?

Without stress, life would be dull and uninteresting. Stress adds flavor, challenge and opportunity to life. Too much stress, however, can seriously affect your physical and mental well-being. A major challenge in today’s fast-paced, stress filled world is to make stress work for you instead of against you.

Hans Selye, M.D., a pioneer in stress research, defined stress as a “non-specific response of the body to a demand.” It is important to learn how our bodies respond to these demands. When stress becomes prolonged or particularly frustrating, it can become harmful, causing distress or “bad stress.” It is important to learn how our bodies respond to these demands. Recognizing the early signs of distress or “bad stress” and doing something about it can make an important difference in the quality of your life and may actually influence your survival.

It has been found that several physical disorders are related to or worsened by a chronic state of tension. These disorders include chronic pain of any sort, high blood pressure, Raynaud’s syndrome, tempero-mandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, colitis, fibromyalgia, migraine and tension headaches, substance abuse, and eating disorders. Any inflammatory process is always worsened by chronic stress.

As a matter of fact, 70% to 80% of patients who visit the average physician are suffering from stress disorders.

In recent years, research has resulted in the development of techniques that the average person can use to turn-off the body’s stress response. The use of feedback with stress reduction techniques makes it quicker and easier to learn how to control the stress response.

How does a stress reduction program work?

The stress reduction program offered by this office has been modeled after Herbert Benson’s Mind Body Institute in Boston, Mass. It consists of an initial visit where both Dr. Remington and the nurse biofeedback/stress management therapist consult with the patient. A detailed medical history is taken and past illnesses are recorded together with medications. After a diagnosis is made, treatment goals are discussed with the patient. A stress reduction program may use biofeedback to teach the relaxation response, autogenic training, or breathing and visualization techniques that are tailored to the individual patient’s needs. This, along with counseling, helps the patient generalize these techniques to his/her lifestyle. The process takes eight to 10 weekly sessions, at which time existing symptoms begin to lessen and disappear. The treatment is then tapered to visits every two to three weeks and the process is finished in 12 to 14 sessions. This is an approximation depending upon the individual’s needs.

This program is designed to keep pace with the rapidly changing ideas surrounding the mind-body connection. In the past, it was felt that medical care consisted primarily of treating an active disease process. In recent years, both physicians and laity have become aware that health maintenance and disease prevention are easily learned and as important as the active treatment of the disease process itself. This type of prevention and self-regulation together with such practical management as diet, aerobic exercise, proper rest, regular vacations, and an awareness of one’s genetics and mental attitudes interplay to help develop a healthier lifestyle. Now, for the first time, we have the knowledge and techniques to learn how to control our response to stress.

Unless otherwise stated, contents copyright © 2002 Dr. Frederick B. Remington MD