Biofeedback Treatment For Stress Management

Oct 29
12:35

2009

Michael Buffton

Michael Buffton

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This article discusses the new technologies and techniques being developed in the field of biofeedback therapy. It primarily discusses how biofeedback can be used to help patients who are trying to manage stress and anxiety. It provides background information on the therapy and how it is being used to treat a variety of psychological and physical disorders.

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Biofeedback therapy is an innovative healing technique that is displaying increasing promise in the treatment of psychosomatic stress and other related symptoms. New procedures and technologies in this technique are being pioneered by countless professionals in the medical,Biofeedback Treatment For Stress Management Articles psychiatric, and scientific communities. Biofeedback treatment is being shown to be exceedingly effective in decreasing anxiety and stress, as well as alleviating the discomfort caused by previous injury and other forms of chronic pain.  

Biofeedback is a curative practice that assists people in developing the capability to be in charge of certain physiological processes. The methods utilized in this groundbreaking treatment consist of observing the physiological reactions in the patient with state of the art neurological monitoring devices and then interpreting the signals in order to pinpoint the exact areas which are causing the patient trouble. The patient is then able to use this natural feedback to help him or her become more aware of the areas of the body causing pain or stressor within his or her environment. Therefore, biofeedback is fundamentally an instructive method in which the user, assisted by the split-second feedback provided by the monitoring device, draws upon his or her own conscious awareness in order to gain more control certain physiological processes. 

By becoming an active participant in one's own treatment, the patient develops the ability to quickly recognize reactions that can contribute to increased pain or stress. In becoming more familiar and in-tune with the relationship between their body and mind, practitioners of biofeedback therapy not only develop techniques that allow them to minimize pain and stress, but also develop more self-control and reflexive awareness that increases confidence in all aspects of their lives. The combination of instant neurological feedback, professional guidance, and sustained practice has been proven to reduce the symptoms of countless physical and psychological disorders that did not respond to traditional drug treatments or surgical procedures.  

There are several areas in which biofeedback therapy has shown promising results:

-Chronic migraine conditions and severe strain headaches

-Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 

-Behavior and Substance Addiction Treatment

-Raynaud's Disease, a vascular disorder that affects blood flow to extremities in response to extreme temperatures or psychological stress

-Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

-Neurological injuries resulting from head trauma, tumors, or toxic exposure

-Depression, Bipolar, and other psychological disorders

Biofeedback is now successfully used in a variety of treatments to combat conditions from general anxiety due to day-to-day stressors to extreme cases of psychological trauma. Most importantly, unlike prescription drug treatments, biofeedback has not shown any unconstructive side-effects in any of these circumstances. Drug-free and non-invasive, biofeedback treatment combines interactive technology with proven therapeutic techniques in order to instill confidence and self-mastery in patients, allowing them to take the lead in managing their levels of stress and pain. When one learns more about biofeedback treatments, he or she discovers that the approach is far different from traditional psychiatric methods of prescribing a variety of drugs in hopes to eliminate the symptoms, and not the causes, of certain ailments. Instead of trying to "fix" people, biofeedback therapy empowers people to become themselves and function better in the world.