Biofeedback treatment - Private Psychology Clinic, The Clinic on Dupont, Toronto

If you have ever had your temperature taken, you have received biofeedback. Your temperature is "feedback" about your body that tells you whether or not you have a fever. Once you realize you have one, you can improve your condition by going to bed or drinking plenty of fluids.

What is Biofeedback?

Biofeedback therapists rely on biofeedback machines in the same way that you rely on your thermometer. A biofeedback machine detects your internal bodily functions with sensitivity and precision. Then, the therapist uses this information to train you to understand your body’s “feedback” and, with this knowledge, shift your emotional responses and behaviour to improve your health.

Biofeedback is not a “new age” therapy. In fact, it isn’t new at all. It has been around since the 1960’s as a treatment for a number of problems, including:

Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Cardiac arrhythmias (abnormalities, sometimes dangerous, in the rhythm of the heartbeat)
Disorders of the digestive system
Headaches and migraines
High/Low blood pressure
Pain management
Panic disorder
Performance enhancement
Phobias
Post Traumatic Stress
RLS – Restless Leg Syndrome
Renaud’s Syndrome (cold temperatures or strong emotions cause blood vessel spasms that block blood flow to the fingers, toes, ears, and nose)
Sleep Disorders like Insomnia and Narcolepsy
General stress and anxiety

One of the most interesting parts of biofeedback training is witnessing the intimate connection between the mind and the body. The body is essentially “unthinking” from the neck down. In other words, the body just does what the mind tells it to. Although there are exceptions, with biofeedback you can see just how quickly the body responds to your thoughts.

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How does biofeedback work?

The therapist will un-intrusively tape or strap between two to six sensors or electrodes onto your body in order to collect data. The sensors may be attached to your head, fingers, hands or abdomen. There are no needles or painful procedures involved.

Once the sensors are attached, your body’s responses are communicated to the biofeedback machine and charted in a way that your therapist will explain. Most machines can measure your body’s blood pressure, heart rate, skin temperature, galvanic skin response (sweating), muscle tension and/or brainwave function.

In a matter of moments you may find that anxious thoughts make your body sweat more, your hands to become cold, and your breathing to grow shallow. As you learn to calm your mind, your body warms, your sweating is reduced, and your breathing slows and deepens. Through biofeedback, some individuals learn to comfortably reduce their breathing rates to as few as six breaths per minute!

Relaxation is serious business and your body needs time to repair itself in order to invest in long-term renovation (e.g. fighting illnesses, healing injuries, memory consolidation etc). When you’re sending stress-inducing messages to your body, it interrupts your long-term calm by focusing on your short-term crisis. Your therapist will help you to learn what triggers your symptoms so that you can change your habits and cope with a crisis, or avoid one altogether.

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How long does a Biofeedback treatment last?

Each session is approximately 50 minutes. Most people find that they learn a great deal about their responses in a few sessions (on average, between two and ten sessions). Some people take what they’ve learned in one session and try it out in real life for a while. They then return to the lab to find out if their skill level is improved.

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What are some of the uses of biofeedback?

With practice, new responses and behaviours can help bring relief and improvement to a variety of problems. We have used biofeedback with a needle phobic who avoided getting injections or blood drawn for 40 years. We have used it with pilots who suffer from performance anxiety and soldiers who, due to stress, have had difficulty passing physical and medical tests. We have also treated athletes suffering from injuries or those who wanted “an edge” in their performance.

Experience is the best teacher. Apply the techniques and watch the results.

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