Biofeedback: What Is It?

According to the National Pain Foundation, biofeedback "allows you to train your mind and body to control or normalize the way you respond to pain. It makes you more aware of your body and helps you learn how to relax and relieve pain." For people whose pain is the result of stress or muscle pressure applied to all the wrong places, biofeedback offers one form of holistic, "alternative" treatment.

In August 2008, Massage Magazine published an article about biofeedback and "brain training:" "The New Generation of Mind-Body Therapies." Basically, these techniques are responses to the theory that problems like hypertension and anxiety disorders can be controlled by our minds. Rather than exclusively functioning from the autonomic nervous system (which operates the unconscious activity within the body, such as breathing and heart rate), scientists recognize the role of conscious regulation as well. Biofeedback is similar to the placebo effect- not in the sense that it is a "hoax," but rather that the mind can affect the body's physical responses.

But how exactly does biofeedback work? The University of Maryland Medical Center states, "Researchers aren't exactly sure how or why biofeedback works." As disheartening or even disconcerting as this may sound, there is nothing involved in biofeedback techniques that could pose any threat to the patient's well-being; the worst result one could expect to experience would be a lack of improvement. Unfortunately, this may be the case for many neuralgia sufferers. Although biofeedback is listed as an alternative treatment for neuralgia, no studies have clearly linked biofeedback as a solution to neuralgia. Generally, the technique is most effective for people with stress-related pain, so biofeedback therapy would only be useful to patients whose pain is a result of elevated blood pressure or muscle strain. Nevertheless, it is something to consider.

The actual therapy process involves learning to control (not completely, but to a much greater extent) bodily processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension. Electrodes are attached to the patient's skin so that these processes (typically muscle tension, skin temperature, or brain wave activity) show up on a monitor, either audibly or visually. The therapist leads the patient through mental exercises (usually intended to relax the person or focus their thoughts) until the patient can learn to identify the mental exercises that trigger desired responses. For example, in the case of urinary incontinence, a person can overcome their loss of bladder control by learning what muscles need to be contracted. For pain or stress, the therapist can use the monitor to detect where a patient is tense, and then pinpoint what thoughts or feelings cause tension. Ultimately, the goal of the session is to help the patient become more aware of processes that normally occur unconsciously, so he or she can react to them consciously.

As stated above, one of the best things about biofeedback is that there are no side effects; however, its usefulness for neuralgia patients is yet to be determined (unless your pain is distinctly stress-related). Although sessions range in technique and length depending on the biofeedback specialist, they are typically shorter than an hour. Some patients claim to see results within 8 weeks (one session per week), but treatment generally requires at least ten weekly sessions- and at least twenty for conditions like high blood pressure. The mental exercises, however, are techniques that the patient can use independently, outside the session. Cost for each session can be anywhere from about $35-$85.

From the University of Maryland Medical Center: "Specialists who provide biofeedback training range from psychiatrists and psychologists to nurses, dentists, and physicians. The Association for Applied Psychology and Biofeedback (www.aapb.org) is a good resource for finding qualified biofeedback practitioners in your area."