Article

How to use Biofeedback for stress relief

Topic: Stress ManagementFeaturing Luka MalgajPublished September 16, 2009

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The human body often produces certain abnormal physiological responses when it is under stress. Biofeedback system of stress monitoring uses the concept of monitoring these physiological responses by the use of electronic equipment and getting related results. The results from the tests conducted by these biofeedback units are in turn observed and studied by experts and therapists, and depending on the level and type of stress the subject may be experiencing, suitable behavioral alterations and changes may be affected to reduce and deal with the stress efficiently. Stressful lifestyle and work pattern often put undue pressures on a person to the point that their body cannot deal with the weight of it. Conditions such as cold hands, high blood pressure, chronic headaches, anxiety, back pain, etc may develop in response to being unable to cope with the stress level. Some biofeedback units are simple to use and don’t require expert guidance. For example, units like the emWave Personal Stress Reliever and the StressEraser are handheld and portable and thus relatively easy to use. They help you get a grip on your emotions so as to break a vicious cycle of stress and emotional distress that consumes you. A good many people, especially children, suffer from poor concentration levels. This is often a result of anxiety. By using biofeedback units such as GSR2 (galvanic skin response), EDA, or emWave PC Stress Relief System, and by trying to relax, one can improve concentration by also tackling anxiety and eliminating anxiety attacks at the same time. Using a biofeedback system like the GSR2/Temp biofeedback, you can measure the temperature of your hand and treat the condition of cold hands accordingly. As for the problem of migrane headaches which are also a common occurrence with stress triggered responses, a biofeedback system called RESPeRATE can be used. RESPeRATE is FDA approved and has been tested clinically to produce no side effects. By using such biofeedback systems, you can constantly monitor your body’s responses and check with immediate effect which techniques that you are employing are working and which are not, thus you can employ only the best of them to maximum effect. Even simple household tools like thermometers and weighing machines count as biofeedback systems. Biofeedback systems back in the 60’s were met with skepticism but have been accepted more broadly now because they have been shown to work by individuals who monitored their own involuntary functions and altered them.