What Exactly is Biofeedback?
Biofeedback is a self-training, mind-over-body technique developed in the 1940s. Doing biofeedback has a slightly science fiction feel to it. But it’s entirely legitimate, and it works. For example, a migraine sufferer may be able to train her body not to have migraines or to lessen the headaches’ severity. Amazing, but true. It’s a method in which you consciously control a body function that normally is regulated automatically by the body like skin temperature, heart rate, or blood pressure. Here’s what happens: You wear sensors on your head and elsewhere to let you “hear” or “see” certain bodily functions like pulse, digestion, body temperature, and muscle tension. The squiggly lines and/or beeps on monitors reflect what’s going on inside your body. It’s similar to watching a heart monitor in action. Then you learn to control those beeps and squiggles. After a few sessions, there’s no need for sensors or monitors. “Your mind trains your biological system to learn the skills,” Baskin
