Hair Alternative Medicine

Biofeedback: Applying the Mind to Health


What is biofeedback?

In biofeedback you expand self-awareness and practice powerful self-healing under guidance. This is often done with measuring devices to train for relaxation. However, the true goal is expanding the dynamic range and flexibility of your physiology. The benefits are enhanced self-regulation and more robust health.

A biofeedback loop starts with monitoring a signal coming from your body. You can monitor muscle tension, hand temperature or brainwave turbulence. Constant updates are fed back to you in a multimedia display. You look and learn. Using this information to get a certain feeling, you then change the signal in a particular direction.

You gain the power to flex and expand your body's functioning. These physiological stretching lessons then go into automatic pilot and are used as needed.

Biofeedback is a mind-body mirror. Specific self-awareness, nourished by intention, becomes self-control. Next comes enhanced homeostasis without further effort. Once you have cleared the trail, the body follows.

Let's do some biofeedback right now. Monitor your pulse. Just feel your heart beating. Without changing your breathing, notice how many times your heart beats during each inhalation and each exhalation. Observe your pattern. Is it 2, 3 or 4 beats per half breath? Now, slow your breathing rate by counting one more heartbeat as you exhale.

Many studies have proven that computerized elaboration of this slower breathing technique has significantly benefits such as lowering high blood pressure. The magic number is usually 6 full breathes per minute. Next try it while walking. Notice the number of strides per breath.

Scientifically sound

The field of biofeedback has progressed by proving that conscious influence is possible over many biological systems and that this practice relieves many diverse disorders.

Scientific literature has well established that holding a thermometer (the signal) to raise your hand temperature (vascular relaxation) prevents 50% of migraine headaches. Biofeedback is more effective than any pill at preventing migraines, especially as medications decline in effectiveness over the years.

Brainwave biofeedback

Using biofeedback with brain signals is called neurofeedback. Neurofeedback is more efficient and powerful than peripheral biofeedback. Neurofeedback can abort migraines. The success rates for resolving migraine are now over 90%. When it works, results seem to endure.

Biofeedback has proven effective in relieving about 150 varied conditions. The only explanation for such broad effectiveness is the power of applied consciousness to self-heal.

The single most popular application for neurofeedback is for ADD. The efficacy is quite high with 85% obtaining 100% remission of symptoms. Complete remission means the disorder is no longer detectable by any means, including brain maps.

Neurofeedback results seem to last forever. There is no homework. As your brain finds a better way to operate, it accepts and adopts the improvements without further effort. As the core problem is cleared, related problems tend to dissolve. Medications can be stopped.

What's it good for?

Here is a short list of the applications for biofeedback in various categories. The quality of evidence varies from rock solid to consistent clinical reports. The positive effect size is usually strong.

Optimal functioning: students, meditators, performing artists, athletes, soldiers, executives.

Everybody: sleep, mental focus, memory, emotional health.

Brain: seizures, stroke, traumatic brain injury, coma, migraine, ARCD.

Lifestyle: drug & alcohol abuse, criminality, eating disorders.

Arousal: stress, anxiety, headache, OCD, anger, PTSD, psychological trauma.

Chronic: asthma, IBS, TMJ, chronic fatigue, immune suppression, fibromyalgia.

Not just kids: ADD, autism, Asperger's, stuttering, Tourette's, tics, learning disorders.

Women: PMS, menopause, hot flashes, pregnancy.

Major: cancer, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, chronic pain, depression.

See www.isnr.org or www.aapb.org for the complete list and scientific references.

Effective

How could one thing be that good for so many different problems? Because the central nervous system is central. Nourishing your mind-body connection with specific awareness and directed intention conditions self-regulatory systems. Your car drives better on all roads after an engine tune up.

I believe that everyone on the planet would benefit from 10 sessions of neurofeedback to optimize mental clarity and upgrade emotional health. Some problems resolve more quickly including garden variety anxiety, migraine, anger, PTSD, PMS and sleep problems. ADD is in the middle but you'll need more sessions for fibromyalgia or autism. Home neurofeedback units are now available for training under the guidance of a professional.

Safe, fun

Biofeedback is remarkably safe. A biofeedback mirror is more benign than a regular mirror. Give an anorexic girl a mirror and she may see enough fat to redouble her diet. Give her 15 sessions of neurofeedback and she will probably begin to ask 'who am I in this world.'

There are cheap and free forms of do-it-yourself biofeedback which are highly effective. And fun. If you want the strongest benefits from biofeedback it is important to employ the best technology. You will derive more rapid, complete and enduring benefits by using the latest neurofeedback software and equipment.

Biofeedback sessions are most often described as pleasant, interesting and relaxing.

Gary Ames is a Licensed Psychologist and Advanced Biofeedback Consultant. For information on business succcess or clinical issues see http://www.AlertFocus.com For more information on migraine headaches visit http://www.EndMigrainePain.com

Gary Ames
28 Rock Hill Road, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
610.668.3223 - Toll Free 866-562-4868


MORE RESOURCES:

Alternative Health Practices Complement Mainstream Approach
Patch
Interested in alternative health practices? Dr. Yvonne Kleine, a Bayport resident, Naturopath and Ph. D Nutritionist, introduces her new column and asks ...



Mel Evans/AP
NPR
"We are very supportive of alternative medicine," says Dr. Sacared Bodison, director of the student health center. All-nighters and good health don't mix. ...

and more »


WISC Madison

Pawlenty's Budget Contradicts His Own Executive Order, Instructs State To ...
Huffington Post (blog)
(a) The commissioner shall develop and authorize a demonstration project to test alternative and innovative health care delivery systems, ...
The Downside of Medicare--And AlternativesHuffington Post (blog)
Get Politics AlertsHuffington Post (blog)

all 481 news articles »


stv.tv

Alternative to alcohol pricing policy produced
Press and Journal
Under the proposals published yesterday, revenue would go to the UK Treasury and be reinvested in public health projects across Scotland instead of boosting ...
Sturgeon sets the minimum price of alcohol at 45p a unitHerald Scotland
Scotland pursues 45p-per-unit minimum priceOfflicence News
Scottish government names minimum alcohol priceNetdoctor
DeHavilland (press release) (subscription) -BBC News -Independent
all 369 news articles »


The Voice of Russia

Alternatives in anti-dengue drive pushed
ABS CBN News
Former Health Secretary Jaime Galvez Tan said communities with pools of stagnant water would benefit from the alternative product in efforts to control the ...
Alternative medicines can't cure dengue: DOHMalaya

all 42 news articles »


Dispensaries Speaking Out Against Proposed Ban
KKCO-TV
"They take the dispensaries away, now we're forced to go on the street," said Samantha McClellan, an employee of Mesa Alternative Health & Wellness and a ...
Pot shop owners far from mellow about closing their doorsGrand Junction Sentinel

all 11 news articles »


Bionovo, Berkeley researcher receive NIH grant to develop obesity drugs
Drug Store News
2) The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine's small business technology transfer program, part of the National Institutes of Health, ...
Bionovo Receives NIH Grant to Develop Drugs for the Treatment of Female ...PR Newswire (press release)

all 14 news articles »


Wyden Defects on ObamaCare
Wall Street Journal
The Secretary of Health and Human Services would need to approve the ObamaCare alternative of Oregon or any other states, and the waivers don't start until ...

and more »


Text messages little help in remembering the Pill
Reuters
The researchers suggest that alternative reminder systems, used by 68 percent of the participants who didn't receive text messages, may have played a role. ...

and more »


TopNews United Kingdom (blog)

Oregon Public Health Department issues advisory for North Fork Reservoir
OregonLive.com
Those who use water directly from the North Fork Reservoir are also advised to use an alternative water source and the public is warned that toxins cannot ...
Toxic algae levels confirmed in South UmpquaNRToday.com
Coos County's Sru Lake Contains High Algae LevelsKEZI TV

all 41 news articles »

Google News

home | Iridology | "Mind Machines" | "Alternative Health" site map | Iridology Site Map | "Alternative Botox"
© 2000 - 2010