BIOFEEDBACK TOOL KIT
Type “ biofeedback equipment ” into any search engine , and it ’ s easy to get overwhelmed . You can spend anywhere from thousands of dollars on machines that measure your brain waves to just $ 14.95 on a relaxation CD .
Although most of this equipment can be purchased online , some of the most expensive biofeedback tools are found in a clinical setting . Here is a quick look at the tools of the trade :
Finger thermometers These are used in a technique called finger warming . Higher temperatures generally mean more migraine relief .
Electrodes Sensors , which are stuck to the skin with an adhesive and attached to a machine with cables , are used to measure brain or heart activity .
Portable sensors and monitoring devices There are sensors for just about every function of the body , from a wristband that measures joint motion to a machine that measures changes in the activity of your sweat glands and the size of your pores .
Light and sound machines These are aimed at reducing stress and helping patients feel calm .
CDs , DVDs and software These can be handy for at-home guided visualization exercises . screen , which can potentially help them control certain physiological functions and responses that may affect their headaches ,” he says . “ They can look at it and say , ‘ Oh , that ’ s why I ’ m feeling better .’”
This information often holds some pretty surprising information . For example , cold hands can be a clear signal that something isn ’ t right , says Kathleen Farmer , PsyD , co-founder of the Headache Care Center in Springfield , Mo .
“ Your finger temperature is a predictor of how much stress your body is carrying ,” she says . “ The average finger temperature in an average person is 85 degrees . Migraineurs often have finger temperatures in the 70s . The goal of biofeedback is to warm the finger temperature to 96 degrees .”
Warmer fingers , Farmer says , help put the brain in a state that promotes relaxation and concentration . In other words , when you ’ re stressed out and in pain , your fingers are probably cold . Feeling good ? You ’ ve likely got warm hands .
PUTTING KNOWLEDGE INTO ACTION
Of course , knowing the temperature of your fingers or the efficiency of your breathing isn ’ t much good to you if you can ’ t do anything about it . Once the numbers are in , the next step in biofeedback is empowerment . The patient must recognize that he or she can do something to change those numbers — and in doing so , help manage a migraine .
A practitioner typically guides the patient through a series of visualization exercises aimed at reducing stress levels . As the migraineur imagines him or herself in a quiet , peaceful place , for example , the monitors track various indicators .
A beep or flashing light often helps alert patients to changes in their body . After a few sessions , which usually last around one hour , patients should begin to see the connection between how they think and how they feel . Armed with that information , many migraine sufferers can start using biofeedback on their own , without any help or fancy equipment . Farmer says she ’ s had patients get so comfortable with recognizing and controlling their physiological processes that they ’ ve been able to go from having a migraine every day to only getting them occasionally . Others have been able to ease the severity of their attacks .
Some at-home practitioners use CDs or DVDs to provide the same type of step-bystep guidance they would get at a clinic . Music or recordings of soothing nature sounds can also be helpful . Eventually , many people figure out what their body needs and how to accomplish it without using a finger thermometer or heart rate monitor .
But no matter how skilled biofeedback practitioners become , they can still get rusty if they don ’ t put in some effort .
“ It ’ s up to the person to do it ,” Farmer says . “ I can demonstrate how to do it , and they can actually experience it . But they have to practice . It ’ s not like taking a pill .”
One drawback of biofeedback is that inoffice sessions can be fairly expensive . A typical clinic session generally runs between $ 75 and $ 150 . For hypertension patients , insurance will cover a portion of the treatment — Farmer says it ’ s usually about 50 percent — but that can vary quite a bit from provider to provider . For at-home practitioners , the additional cost can be minimal or significant depending on which tools they use . Hightech biofeedback machines sell for hundreds , and sometimes thousands , of dollars .
Schwartz says some of those tools can be valuable on a basic level , but the most important thing is to fully understand the mind-body connection — the interaction between a person ’ s thoughts , behaviors , emotions and physiology .
“ From a holistic perspective , biofeedback is about creating physiological , cognitive and emotional awareness ,” he says . “ It ’ s being more aware in the middle of craziness to take some deep breaths , drop the shoulders — do those kinds of things . Smell the roses .” HW
38 HEAD WISE | Volume 1 , Issue 2 • 2011