Understanding Biofeedback Therapy

We all know what it’s like to feel the aches and pains of daily life. But sometimes pain can go much deeper and last much longer than the typical sore muscle or nagging headache. 

Whether your pain stems from a chronic condition or is the result of ongoing treatment for an illness, you need a pain management solution that works seamlessly with your other treatment plans and offers whole-body benefits. One solution that may be able to help you do that is biofeedback therapy.

Our team of experienced doctors and pain management specialists at Choice Pain & Rehabilitation Center knows just how debilitating it can be to live with daily pain. That’s why we offer a wide variety of pain management options including biofeedback. Here’s how it works. 

What is biofeedback therapy?

Biofeedback therapy isn’t a single treatment in and of itself. It’s a mind and body technique that uses visual and auditory feedback to help you gain control over involuntary bodily functions, such as your blood flow and pressure, muscle tensions, pain perception, and your heart rate. 

There are a few different biofeedback methods that can help you isolate certain physiological functions and take control of your pain. 

For example, we use a type of biofeedback therapy that measures your muscle tension through sensors we place on your body. The sensors are connected to an electromyography (EMG) device, which helps us detect when your muscles contract. 

Once we understand how your muscles behave, we can help you become aware of those painful, involuntary contractions. We can then teach you techniques on how to relax them, which can significantly reduce your pain. 

Other types of biofeedback therapy include:

• Respiratory biofeedback
• Heart rate monitoring
• Galvanic skin response
• Blood pressure monitoring
• Skin temperature
• Neurofeedback

During your session, we guide you through different mental exercises, such as visualization, meditation, breathing, and relaxation strategies, which are all geared toward helping you quell your body’s automatic functions that are causing you pain. You can see your body’s positive response to these techniques right on the measurement device. 

Why choose biofeedback therapy?

There are a few reasons we recommend biofeedback therapy to our patients. 

First, it’s an excellent complement to your other treatments. Biofeedback therapy is noninvasive and doesn’t require prescriptions, so you can use it in conjunction with your existing medications or as an alternative to more aggressive treatments. 

Second, biofeedback therapy is an effective solution for chronic stress and chronic pain. Living with daily pain can take a toll on your mental well-being, emotional well-being, and physical health. Biofeedback therapy can help you manage your stress, so you can reap the benefits of improved mental health. 

Who can benefit from biofeedback therapy?

Biofeedback therapy has proven to be an effective therapy for a long list of conditions, ranging from asthma to anxiety, but it’s not for everyone. 

Our providers conduct a thorough review of your medical history and symptoms to determine if biofeedback therapy is an option for you. 

We typically offer biofeedback therapy to patients suffering from fibromyalgia and the damaging effects of long-term cancer treatments. 

What should you expect from your first session?

Depending on which kind of biofeedback therapy you receive, your sessions may take anywhere from 30-60 minutes. You typically sit or recline comfortably during treatment. 

We recommend that you wear loose, comfortable clothing to ensure that you’re able to relax and focus during your session. 

We often prescribe 4-6 sessions, but we may recommend upwards of 8-10 sessions depending on your condition and how well you respond to treatment. 

To see if biofeedback therapy can help relieve your pain, book an appointment online or over the phone with CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center today.