Stress is an inevitable force that cannot be avoided by anyone. It is an untoward stimulus that induces the body’s physical, mental, and emotional response. Some certain events are bound to happen in every living being across the globe. It is normal for a person to experience stress. When under the spell of this consequence, an individual may manifest several positive and negative signs and symptoms. Stress may either be healthy or dangerous. Most of the time, stress can hamper the normal living of a person. Stress can be managed or treated depending on the cause and its severity. Normally, a simple kind of stress can be resolved by the person alone by his or her innate coping mechanisms. However, if the stress becomes threatening to one’s wellness and becomes critical, putting a person’s life at risk, then it is about time to employ different kinds of treatment modalities. There is a number of prescription drugs as treatments and more invasive procedures that can alleviate stress. There are also therapies and alternative medicines that were found to be more effective than the former. One effective therapy is biofeedback.
Definition Of Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a complementary technique that trains people to control bodily processes, such as blood pressure, heart rate, skin temperature, and muscle tension. This alternative approach will help improve the state of an individual and bring him back to his normal functioning. In this therapy, electrodes are being used to measure and receive information about the biostatistics of the body. These electrical sensors will serve as a guide on how to control and make changes in the body. Primarily, biofeedback is used to treat and relieve stress. It is often used as an aid in performing various types of relaxation techniques.
Benefits Of Biofeedback
Biofeedback is effective in treating a wide range of physical and mental health issues. These conditions include constipation, hypertension, asthma, depression, diabetes, motion sickness, learning disabilities, tension headache, chronic pain, migraine, urinary incontinence, physical performance, heart problems, and some medical diseases like irritable bowel syndrome and Raynaud’s disease. Because of this, biofeedback therapy attracts use from too many people.
Aside from enhancing their overall health, biofeedback is the choice of most individuals because of a variety of reasons. First, it is noninvasive. Second, it can be an alternative to a number of psychoactive medications. Third, it can be used as a treatment for some conditions during pregnancy wherein taking medications are more or less contraindicated. Lastly, it facilitates people to take charge of their own health.
Consultation With A Doctor
There are no special preparations when planning to undergo biofeedback as a therapy. However, there’s a need to first see a doctor before undergoing the therapy. If planning to go through the therapy, choose a biofeedback therapist who is certified and licensed to perform the therapy. A typical biofeedback session lasts for about thirty to sixty minutes. During the session, the therapist will place electrodes on the different parts of the body which will monitor the physiologic state of the body, and the information is transmitted back via cues. The feedback received from the machine will serve as a basis in changing and controlling the body’s physiological reactions.
Biofeedback is basically safe for most people. There is no clear explanation as to why this is effective as a stress relief aid to the clients. For those who underwent the procedure, it had really helped them control the symptoms on their own and reduce the need for medication to take. Although learning biofeedback takes time and can be expensive if not covered with health insurance, the results are promising and it is worth giving it a try
