General biofeedback trains a person to obtain greater control over certain involuntary body responses such as heart rate, breathing, body temperature, sweat gland activity, and muscle tension. By learning to control these physiological responses, an individual can exert control over mental and physical health problems.
Unlike neurofeedback, where the brain responds to feedback at an unconscious level, biofeedback requires an individual’s conscious participation in the process. The client may be learning to change breathing patterns, control muscle tension and/or lower blood pressure or heart rate. When a video progresses or music plays, the client makes internal adjustments to alter the signal. Over time the client will learn to either increase the feedback (in the case of someone trying to make a muscle become stronger) or decrease the signal (in the case of someone trying to make a muscle relax.) It is like holding a mirror to your physiology.
At BiofeedbackWORKS our primary focus with general biofeedback is targeting health problems and mental conditions that are stress-related. Stress and anxiety manifest physiologically in our bodies in a variety of ways. With our state-of-the-art equipment, we bring your physiological responses to your awareness. With this increased awareness you can alter these responses and thus reduce your body’s stress. Some forms of biofeedback require little or no equipment, and are simple enough that clients can practice between sessions.
Biofeedback is often used in addition to neurofeedback to optimize training. Temperature training (in which a person holds a thermometer and concentrates on either raising or lowering their temperature) and breathing technique are two biofeedback techniques commonly used in conjunction with neurofeedback.