Q: What ever happened to biofeedback?
A: I still recommend biofeedback for people experiencing serious stress and anxiety, painful muscle spasms, high blood pressure, migraines, and Raynaud's disease (a disorder that causes the small arteries in fingers and toes to narrow). A learned mind-body technique, biofeedback allows you to influence seemingly involuntary physical functions such as your body's response to stress, which manifests as increased blood pressure and muscle tension.
During a typical session, the therapist uses sensors to track markers of your body's state, like heart rate, brain wave frequency, and muscle tension. This information is then used to help you learn how to alter your internal responses in positive ways.
For example, a sensor placed on your finger can translate skin temperature into an audible beep—the higher the temperature, the faster the beeping. Using this kind of feedback, you become aware of your own stress responses and learn to calm them through techniques such as breath work, meditation, and guided imagery.
To find out how effective biofeedback is for treating specific health problems or to locate a provider, go to the Web sites of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback or the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance. At home, try computer-based biofeedback training, such as "Journey to Wild Divine."
ANDREW WEIL, MD, is founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and clinical professor of medicine at the University of Arizona. For more information, go to drweil.com.
Send your questions for Dr. Weil to email@example.com.
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