Biofeedback: Applying the Mind to Health

Home
>
Alternative Medicine
>
Biofeedback: Applying the Mind to Health

Biofeedback: Applying the Mind to Health

What is biofeedback?

In biofeedback you expand self-awareness and practice powerful self-healing under guidance. This is often done with measuring devices to train for relaxation. However, the true goal is expanding the dynamic range and flexibility of your physiology. The benefits are enhanced self-regulation and more robust health.

A biofeedback loop starts with monitoring a signal coming from your body. You can monitor muscle tension, hand temperature or brainwave turbulence. Constant updates are fed back to you in a multimedia display. You look and learn. Using this information to get a certain feeling, you then change the signal in a particular direction.

You gain the power to flex and expand your body's functioning. These physiological stretching lessons then go into automatic pilot and are used as needed.

Biofeedback is a mind-body mirror. Specific self-awareness, nourished by intention, becomes self-control. Next comes enhanced homeostasis without further effort. Once you have cleared the trail, the body follows.

Let's do some biofeedback right now. Monitor your pulse. Just feel your heart beating. Without changing your breathing, notice how many times your heart beats during each inhalation and each exhalation. Observe your pattern. Is it 2, 3 or 4 beats per half breath? Now, slow your breathing rate by counting one more heartbeat as you exhale.

Many studies have proven that computerized elaboration of this slower breathing technique has significantly benefits such as lowering high blood pressure. The magic number is usually 6 full breathes per minute. Next try it while walking. Notice the number of strides per breath.

Scientifically sound

The field of biofeedback has progressed by proving that conscious influence is possible over many biological systems and that this practice relieves many diverse disorders.

Scientific literature has well established that holding a thermometer (the signal) to raise your hand temperature (vascular relaxation) prevents 50% of migraine headaches. Biofeedback is more effective than any pill at preventing migraines, especially as medications decline in effectiveness over the years.

Brainwave biofeedback

Using biofeedback with brain signals is called neurofeedback. Neurofeedback is more efficient and powerful than peripheral biofeedback. Neurofeedback can abort migraines. The success rates for resolving migraine are now over 90%. When it works, results seem to endure.

Biofeedback has proven effective in relieving about 150 varied conditions. The only explanation for such broad effectiveness is the power of applied consciousness to self-heal.

The single most popular application for neurofeedback is for ADD. The efficacy is quite high with 85% obtaining 100% remission of symptoms. Complete remission means the disorder is no longer detectable by any means, including brain maps.

Neurofeedback results seem to last forever. There is no homework. As your brain finds a better way to operate, it accepts and adopts the improvements without further effort. As the core problem is cleared, related problems tend to dissolve. Medications can be stopped.

What's it good for?

Here is a short list of the applications for biofeedback in various categories. The quality of evidence varies from rock solid to consistent clinical reports. The positive effect size is usually strong.

Optimal functioning: students, meditators, performing artists, athletes, soldiers, executives.

Everybody: sleep, mental focus, memory, emotional health.

Brain: seizures, stroke, traumatic brain injury, coma, migraine, ARCD.

Lifestyle: drug & alcohol abuse, criminality, eating disorders.

Arousal: stress, anxiety, headache, OCD, anger, PTSD, psychological trauma.

Chronic: asthma, IBS, TMJ, chronic fatigue, immune suppression, fibromyalgia.

Not just kids: ADD, autism, Asperger's, stuttering, Tourette's, tics, learning disorders.

Women: PMS, menopause, hot flashes, pregnancy.

Major: cancer, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, chronic pain, depression.

See www.isnr.org or www.aapb.org for the complete list and scientific references.

Effective

How could one thing be that good for so many different problems? Because the central nervous system is central. Nourishing your mind-body connection with specific awareness and directed intention conditions self-regulatory systems. Your car drives better on all roads after an engine tune up.

I believe that everyone on the planet would benefit from 10 sessions of neurofeedback to optimize mental clarity and upgrade emotional health. Some problems resolve more quickly including garden variety anxiety, migraine, anger, PTSD, PMS and sleep problems. ADD is in the middle but you'll need more sessions for fibromyalgia or autism. Home neurofeedback units are now available for training under the guidance of a professional.

Safe, fun

Biofeedback is remarkably safe. A biofeedback mirror is more benign than a regular mirror. Give an anorexic girl a mirror and she may see enough fat to redouble her diet. Give her 15 sessions of neurofeedback and she will probably begin to ask 'who am I in this world.'

There are cheap and free forms of do-it-yourself biofeedback which are highly effective. And fun. If you want the strongest benefits from biofeedback it is important to employ the best technology. You will derive more rapid, complete and enduring benefits by using the latest neurofeedback software and equipment.

Biofeedback sessions are most often described as pleasant, interesting and relaxing.

Gary Ames is a Licensed Psychologist and Advanced Biofeedback Consultant. For information on business succcess or clinical issues see http://www.AlertFocus.com For more information on migraine headaches visit http://www.EndMigrainePain.com

Gary Ames
28 Rock Hill Road, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
610.668.3223 - Toll Free 866-562-4868

In The News:

Alternative-school links grow on Camden board
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Claudia Vargas Milagros Torres, whose daughter Felicia was bullied at school, now backs alternative schools. RICHARD KAUFFMAN / Staff Milagros Torres joined a chorus of parents advocating for alternatives to public schools in Camden after her ...

Kirkland Views
LETTER | Alternatives are higher Density for Potala than Federally Subsidized ...
Kirkland Views
By Karen Levenson on May 20, 2012 in Development, Opinion I would like to draw citizen of Kirkland attention to the greater intensity of Alternative(s) proposed in Potala EIS (Lake Washington Blvd) vs. Federally Subsidized, Seattle Housing Authority's ...

USA TODAY
Galaxy Tab an affordable iPad alternative
USA TODAY
Instead, it offers a more portable, more affordable alternative to the Apple juggernaut. If you're looking for a smaller tablet that won't break the bank, this latest 7-inch tablet from Samsung is certainly worth a look. The device is the successor to ...

and more »

Friends Life Care, a long-term alternative
Philadelphia Inquirer
Because they provide both care and financial protection, programs like Friends Life Care offer an alternative to traditional continuing-care facilities and to conventional long-term-care insurance. They've been growing in popularity recently, ...

and more »

Alternative school teacher focuses on the positive
Danville Commercial News
After more than 22 years in Danville District 118's alternative education program, Watson is retiring at the end of this school year along with his friend and fellow alternative education teacher Bill Houpt, who has served District 118 for 20 years.

and more »

The Hindu
'Find solutions through alternative sources'
Deccan Herald
The construction industry should find solutions for their problems through alternative sources and hence build affordable houses, said Deputy Speaker of Legislative Assembly N Yogish Bhat after inaugurating 'Mangalore Realty and Buildcon Expo' ...
Call to think of alternative sources for constructionHindu Business Line

all 4 news articles »

South Bay Healing Center of San Jose Offers Healthy Alternative Ways to Use ...
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
South Bay Healing Center medical marijuana dispensary offers healthy alternatives to smoking medical marijuana. San Jose, CA (PRWEB) May 19, 2012 Medical marijuana offers many healing properties with many different application methods depending on the ...

and more »

Niche establishments cater to alternative preferences
Williamsport Sun-Gazette
By ALYSSA MURPHY (amurphy@sungazette.com) , Williamsport Sun-Gazette Along with a diversifying global cuisine, some local food establishments are catering to alternative lifestyles. Later this month, Sunflower Cafe and Bakery will open at 145 W. Fourth ...

Cleaner alternative offered to Tondo charcoal makers
Inquirer.net (blog)
UPA volunteer Jessa Margallo said charcoal-making remains a stable source of income for residents of Ulingan as households seek cheaper alternatives amid the rising cost of cooking fuel, mainly liquefied petroleum gas. About 15 residents started this ...

Alternative tax plan from Democrats
NorthJersey.com
BY LOUIS D. GREENWALD Louis D. Greenwald, a Democrat from Camden County, represents New Jersey's 6th District in the Assembly. He is Assembly majority leader. THE DIFFERENCES cannot be more obvious for New Jersey's beleaguered property taxpayers.

and more »

Google News