Biofeedback is a therapy used to teach patients how they can improve their health by learning how to control their responses to physical and emotional stressors. Sensors attached to different parts of the body are used to measure heart rate, muscle tension, respiration and temperature. These measurements give information “feedback” about the body’s “bio” condition and allow the patient to see in real time how their thoughts, emotions and body are interconnected. In essence, biofeedback therapy is like a mirror used to monitor how the body responds to both emotional and physical stress.
During therapy, the biofeedback therapist will use stress management techniques such as visualization, diaphragmatic breathing, muscle down training, and imagery exercises to teach the patient how they can alter their body’s response and then learn to do so without feedback. By learning biofeedback strategies, patients learn how to: