The Benefits of Biofeedback

Biofeedback is a safe, powerful, non-drug intervention. It is often a learning process which helps you gain control of your body's responses to stress, anxiety, physical strain and emotional stimuli. Being a learning process, it also requires time, a consistent schedule of treatment sessions, practice in between sessions, and personal motivation. This not like taking a pill and waiting for a magical cure! It is more like starting to learn the piano, taking it a step at a time and not expecting to play Beethoven in the second lesson. Many people have been able to reduce medications through biofeedback and other non-drug interventions.

Biofeedback has developed rapidly as an alternative medical treatment since it was discovered by researchers, mediators and healthcare clinicians in the 1960s. Since then, treatment protocols have been refined and procedures have been standardized to begin to meet the criteria required for documentation of efficacy as a "hard science" medical procedure.

The primary function of biofeedback could be thought of as similar to that of a mirror. A mirror returns information about yourself to you that would be otherwise difficult to acquire. Once you have the information, you can make a choice as to what to do with it, such as combing your hair a certain way. In the same manner, biofeedback returns physiological information to you that was likewise, not readily accessible without the assistance of the instrument. With biofeedback training, a person may be able to effect change upon body areas previously not under volitional control.

Biofeedback instruments can monitor muscle tension, heart-rate, blood pressure, peripheral blood flow (vasoconstriction), galvanic skin response, EEG brain waves and other measures. These instruments can vary from simple thermometers to high-tech, multi-channel computerized systems. In the hands of an experienced biofeedback therapist, however, the mechanics of the instrument are pretty much transparent. The emphasis is on re-training the body to gain volitional control of the physiology. The biofeedback therapist typically assumes a "coaching" role, and techniques to help facilitate change may include breathing instruction, guided imagery, music, discussion, autogenics and other techniques. The real power of the treatment though, is the immediate feedback which reveals the direction physiological change is occurring of there is any change at all. With this information, the body begins to learn how to change.

While commonly thought of in conjunction with relaxation training, Biofeedback is used in the treatment of:

• Headaches/ Migraine & Muscle contraction

• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

• Anxiety

• ADD/ADHD

• Seizures/Epilepsy/li>

• Depression

• Neck & Back pain

• Addiction

• Stroke/neuromuscular reeducation

• Other muscular and vascular complaints

Biofeedback is a non-invasive, client-centered method of training the body in which the learner actively participates in treatment and the doctor or therapist assumes the role of coach or guide. It is rewarding because it is based on a series of small successes which typically leads to a reduction in symptoms and improved quality of life.

Practitioners that employ biofeedback include: physicians, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, chiropractors, social workers, dentists, music therapists, and other health professionals. A standard course of treatment may run 10-20 sessions or until mastery is achieved. EEG biofeedback may run 40-80 sessions. The process is usually enjoyable and gains made typically are maintained.

About the author:
Dr. Eric Miller is a psychotherapist, certified biofeedback therapist and board-certified music therapist with experience in inpatient, outpatient, corporate and educational settings. He instructs in capacity of adjunct faculty at Antioch University, Montgomery County Community College and Harcum College, and has guest lectured at Allegheny University (formerly Hahnemann) and at the Naropa Institute. He is a published author and presents internationally on music & healing. Dr. Miller was recently appointed Executive Director of Music for People and he serves as President of Expressive Therapy Concepts, a non-profit organization dedicated to the creative arts therapies and related disciplines. He also directs the Association for Integrative Medicine.