What is stress?
Stress and hectic life are linked with modern life.
Demands, we or others place on us, for instance in our profession, within the family, while driving a car, going shopping or doing sport can be very different.
Stress –the right amount of stress- can increase efficiency and motivate and increase contentment. If stress, however, is too powerful, people complain more and more about stress symptoms. They become frantic, off-balanced and nervous, they feel down and constrained by too many demands.
If we can no longer cope with the demands placed on us, we lose the balance between burden and relaxation which might lead to serious physical and psychological problems or even to organic diseases.
Nowadays, many people are no longer able to keep stress and relaxation in balance. Often the bodily resistance is exhausted. It is, nonetheless, of great importance to find time for resting and relaxation in order to stay healthy and efficient on the long run.
There are various strategies to relieve stress, such as relaxation through self-hypnosis, progressive muscular relaxation, any type of meditation or yoga, all of which are exercised by many people. These relaxation techniques can very effectively be supported by Biofeedback.
What is Biofeedback?
Biofeedback (short for “biological feedback”) is a method known since the sixties
Biofeedback combines Western state-of-the-art technology, physiology, computing science and Far Eastern philosophy.
In a wider sense, Biofeedback can be regarded as an important principle of life. That means, an individual can learn through Biofeedback to detect his physical reactions and establish control over them, thus receiving an optimal feedback.
In a medical sense, Biofeedback monitors electronically a person’s data (e.g. blood pressure, heart rate) and “feeds back” by light or sound. Using this biological data, the individual learns how to voluntarily control his body’s reactions to stress.
Thanks to modern technologies and computer application, the person receives signals which enable him to find the behaviour most suitable.
How does Biofeedback work?
People having difficulties to relax, can achieve improvement with Biofeedback
We are often not aware of the processes in our body, e.g. breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension or temperature.
It is possible for us to perceive with concentration our breathing frequency during respiration and can possibly reduce it, but it is almost impossible to do this with our blood pressure.
For many bodily functions, such as blood pressure, we require measuring instruments acting as “substitute sensory organ”, the basis of the Biofeedback method.
Applying a Biofeedback instrument, the imperceptible body signals, e.g. skin resistance, respiratory frequency, heart rate, blood pressure and brain waves are monitored with the appropriate instrument and converted into acoustic or light signals.
With the help of a computer, loudspeaker and light diodes, the user will get aware of the signals. This way, the user learns to perceive consciously changes in his body and to control the bodily processes deliberately. People having difficulties to relax, can achieve improvement with Biofeedback.
An example how it works, is the measuring of the skin resistance , the so-called electrodermal activity (EDA). The skin resistance is a very good indicator of the emotional tension and the activity of the nervous system. During tension and excitement, the skin resistance decreases whereas during increasing bodily and physiological relaxation, the skin resistance increases.
With electrodes the changes in the skin resistance are measured on a finger and this information is passed on to the person via acoustic and light signals. Thus the person gets a direct feedback on the change in skin resistance and the degree of relaxation. Tiny changes are perceived by the user and can be controlled consciously.
A normalisation of the skin resistance has additionally a calming effect on other bodily functions, e.g. breathing, heartbeat or high blood pressure.
The Biofeedback method is a way of learning and can be used for the perception of the body, self-control and self-healing.
Biofeedback’s Range of Application
Biofeedback can be successfully applied for many diseases
- Migraine
- Tension headaches
- Muscle tension and pain
- Anxiety state
- Sleeping disorders
- Nervousness and inner restlessness
- Arrhythmia
- Hypertonia
- Incontinence
Results of the Biofeedback Method
People suffering from stress can calm their autonomic nervous system with Biofeedback
They can lead a more peaceful and more contented life, sleep longer and more restful at night, increase their well-being and cope better with daily stress. Their capability of concentration and efficiency can be increased. There will be less pain in a relaxed condition. Often, Biofeedback can help to reduce the dose of medicaments, diminish the risk of infarct and increase the general resistance.
Advantages of the Biofeedback Method
Moreover, Biofeedback is a relaxation method without any side-effects
It is very easy to learn and use Biofeedback. This method is very useful to support any relaxation and meditation exercises. Relaxation will easily come. What is special, is that the user will get an objective and reliable feedback on the success of his relaxation exercises by way of acoustic signals.
This method can effectively help many people. It is ideal to be used for stress management and relaxation exercises in private or professional settings.
