Biofeedback has been used successfully to treat pain and to help patients better manage their pain, especially if they are experiencing it on a regular basis, in which case it is chronic pain. With such treatment, patients are taught to learn how to control the functions of their body which are involuntary, such as heart rate and the amount of tension that builds up in the muscles. Just about any kind of pain can be treated through biofeedback therapy, such as headaches, back pain, arthritis, lupus, or fibromyalgia. During a typical biofeedback treatment session for pain management, a therapist places sensors on various parts of the body, usually the areas of the body where the pain is occurring.
Once these are activated, the patient receives immediate feedback in the form of sounds or visual displays on a video screen to indicate the functioning of various parts of the body. Through the treatment, the patient learns how to associate these different functions with the amount of pain they experience. There are many benefits to biofeedback therapy for pain management. Not only does the patient learn how to get relief from the chronic pain, but it reduces the need for depending on pain medication that often reduces an individual’s ability to function normally on a daily basis.
Muscle relaxers, for example, are the most commonly prescribed pain medication for back pain and they often induce a drowsy state in the patient leaving this person unable to drive or engage in tasks requiring intense concentration. Through biofeedback therapy sessions, a patient learns how to gain partial or complete control over the body functions that are causing chronic pain. There are no medications involved in this treatment and no invasive surgeries are needed. The goal is to help the patient use his/her mind to help control the symptoms.
The type of monitoring instruments used in biofeedback for pain management depends on the conditions of the pain and the amount of pain relief the patient wishes to receive. Some treatments involve the use of sensors to monitor brain waves during the attacks of pain and the use of thermometers to measure the amount of perspiration during such attacks. Biofeedback and pain management EMG sensors measure the amount of tension in the muscles associated with the area of pain. The use of EEG sensors attached to the scalp measure the brain waves during different activities, such as sleeping, reading, or engaging in a physical activity.
As the patient sees the different brain waves associated with each of these activities, he/she can also see the difference in the brain waves when there is a need for pain management. There is also a difference in the brain waves according to the amount of pain being experienced. The patient will have to keep a diary of events and activities as well as the pain associated with each one in order to determine if there are any activities that trigger more acute chronic pain than others. Learning to breathe properly is an important aspect of biofeedback therapy for pain.
When the deep muscles and organs of the body do not receive the amount of oxygen they need to function efficiently and this results in a build up of tension in the muscles, resulting in chronic pain. By learning to take deep breaths, the patient learns how to oxygenate deep recesses of the lungs, which also helps the muscles relax and release the tension. By watching and making note of the various types of biofeedback treatment feedback a patient obtains in a session, both the patient and the therapist are able to draw conclusions about how to use the mind in order to control the chronic pain to be able to enjoy a better quality of life.