I am going to have my first biofeedback next month and I just wanted to know what this procedure is......Does it relax your muscles like a big tens unit or does it tell you were your pain is coming from? Please if anyone knows....LET ME KNOW!
Niap:
I had a couple of these sessions when I was at the Cleveland Clinic. They put these pads on your head, chest, and wrist I think. They measure your pulse and breathing and muscle tension on your face (I think). It's been awhile since I had it done. It does not hurt at all. They get you to focus on your breathing and controlling it through relaxation techniques. When your pain goes up, the body automatically tenses up muscles, heart rate goes up, breathing goes up, and head muscles tense up. The biofeedback tries to get you to counteract this automatic reaction. If you are able to do this then the perception of the pain goes down. This is the idea behind it. I guess after you are able to do it successfully for awhile with the machine then you should be able to do it anywhere but you MUST do it every day and then it becomes natural and alternative way to manage pain. I didn't keep it up and therefore it didn't become a habit for me.
I am very interested in how this goes for you. I have a buddy that learned to control migraines this way. After being trained during in-office sessions, he was able to do it on his own. I've also seen mobile devices one can buy for around $200 - kinda like a PDA.
Please post your thoughts as you go through the process.
I actually had it done for my bladder. They teach you to breathe, visualize etc. They hook you to the computer so you can see a graph on your progress. I also did not stick with it. It was every week and I was about to go in for my back surgery. I like instant gratification so this was not for me. LOL It sounds hokey but it was working a little. If I stuck with it, I think it would have worked. It was just too hard with working all day and going there once a week. The other days I was doing physical therapy. I did take with me the exercises and sometimes do them at home.
