At present, the biofeedback method is one of the most common methods of rehabilitation therapy without the use of medications. It can be compared with a physiological mirror that can help a person consciously control certain functions. It consists in redirecting the data obtained by means of sensors attached to the human body, which the device is able to translate into a picture or sound, more familiar to the human perception.
Basic information
The method of biological feedback (BFB) is primarily a universal principle of human interaction with various systems of his body. Some household appliances, such as an iron, work in the same way. There, feedback is used as a regulator of the temperature supply. The human body uses the same system to regulate mental and physiological processes.
The essence of biofeedback therapy (biofeedback method) is to build an additional data channel that reflects the vegetative functions of the body and allows you to control them. It became possible to carry out such manipulations quite recently, only after the creation of a certain kind of electronic devices that could reflect minimal changes in physiological characteristics simultaneously with the experiment.
History of creation and development
Only at the end of the sixties of the last century in the USA the term BOS appeared for the first time. Biofeedback was actually used back in the thirties on rats. Scientists were able to discover that animals change the functioning of their organs, if encouraged or punished. The experiments showed that using this technique, one can teach a test subject to produce a certain amount of gastric juice or maintain a certain level of blood pressure. The effect can also be exerted on the heart and other internal organs. After some time, it was decided to test the biological feedback method in humans. This made it possible to understand that a person is able to fix the indicators of his body simply by learning about the deviation; he does not need encouragement and punishment for this.
The very first documentary publications appeared in the forties and they related to the ability to control cardiac activity. A little later, works on the use of the myogram as a parameter for teaching people to relax became available. This made it possible to treat pains of a neuromuscular origin. And only at the end of the last century did they notice the benefit of biological feedback as a psychotherapeutic method. At the moment, studies of this type of effect on the human body are still being conducted. However, this type of therapy is already very successfully applied in different areas of medical therapy, which allows minimizing or eliminating the medical treatment of patients.
Characteristics of Psychotherapy
The method of biological feedback in psychology is applicable as a relaxation and behavioral component. The basis of this principle was the relationship between the mental and autonomic functions of the human body. Feedback is arranged using a sensor. This device is capable of recording and converting all data relating to any changes in physiological parameters.
This refers to muscle tension, temperature, skin resistance, contraction of the heart muscle, blood pressure and so on. All these indicators are actually related to the emotional state of the patient and his task is to change them in the right direction. This allows a person to learn how to self-regulate his body, in order to further influence the pathological processes in it.
Varieties of biofeedback
At the moment, there are two main types of communication, it is direct and indirect. By direct biofeedback is meant a process carried out on that function of the body that does not work correctly and this is where the pathology itself is expressed. That is, if a person has hypertension, then the effect affects only the level of blood pressure.
And indirect biofeedback is called one that affects all indicators, even if they do not directly relate to a human disease. Most often, in the treatment using the biological feedback method, indicators of temperature and electrical resistance of the skin are used. The fact is that it is precisely these characteristics that best reflect the psychoemotional state of a person. With increased tension, these indicators are low, while relaxing the body, on the contrary, increase.
BOS devices
For modern computer systems, it is absolutely not a problem to use any indicator of the human body, including an encephalogram and an electrocardiogram. There are different devices: some register only one indicator, while others take into account several. According to some researchers, the most effective is still a system that can reflect several characteristics at once. For this purpose, software and hardware systems that work on a PC basis were specially developed.
Software
Developed and specialized software aimed at learning self-regulation in the process of interesting games. Basically, such equipment is used as a separate biofeedback for children. The biofeedback method, of course, is effective at the level of its hardware use, but the doctor also influences the therapy. In other words, a psychotherapist can be called the main link between the method itself and training. It is on the level of professionalism of the doctor that the subsequent results of treatment of the patient depend. The computer in this process is only a means of building therapeutic relationships that help the patient learn new things and change their behavior.
The role of the doctor in conducting biofeedback therapy
The doctor should immediately prepare the patient for this type of treatment. He holds motivational conversations, inspires hope that everything will work out. The doctor also explains the essence of the method, by what mechanism it works, provides basic information about the pathological process that occurs in the patient’s body. It is also the doctor’s task to explain why this technique should help the patient.
When the training begins, the therapist must analyze the information that the equipment gives out and the information received from the patient himself. Based on these data, he explains to the patient how best to use them. The doctor is also obliged to give advice on human behavior, and suggest experimenting with the goal of choosing the best method of controlling body functions in a particular case. It does not matter if there are positive experimental results or not, he motivates the patient, talking about their presence.
The benefits of biofeedback
When the patient manages to master the skills of managing his body in the office, he needs to transfer them to everyday life. Here the psychotherapist needs to develop an active attitude towards therapy in the patient, to increase his responsibility for the health and significance of the person himself. Among the advantages of the biological feedback method, it is worth highlighting the following:
- a person personally takes an active part in therapy;
- the method is safe and harmless to health;
- almost no side effects (only in very rare cases).
Mechanisms of action
It was noted that during classes using biofeedback, a person begins to develop biochemical and physiological reactions that are opposite to stress reflection:
- the a-rhythm of the brain becomes stronger;
- blood pressure decreases;
- heart contractions become rarer;
- peripheral vascular resistance decreases;
- the body needs less oxygen;
- muscle electrical activity becomes lower;
- decreased levels of renin, cholesterol, catecholamines and cortisol;
- endogenous opioid system works in a more enhanced mode;
- vascular reactivity decreases.
In other words, this method helps a person improve his ability to resist stress. Since the patient himself is actively involved in therapy, his personal reserves are opened to combat pathology. In the process of treatment, a person begins to realize the mechanism of the body and how to make the pathological process positive for him. If a person succeeds in self-regulation, his well-being becomes better, his self-esteem and adaptation skills increase. Positive emotions obtained from observing positive results motivate a person to fight the problem more intensely, which increases the chance of recovery. The result of such treatment is a decrease in fixation on the patient's experiences, which, in turn, affects the reduction of hypochondria and the level of aggression. The patient has faith in himself, his strength, and he begins to look at life more positively.
Methodology Efficiency
At the moment, it is proved that the method of biological feedback after a stroke, with sleep disturbance, migraines and other diseases is very effective. Of particular importance is the treatment of psychosomatic diseases: biofeedback copes with this task much better than other types of therapy.
The ability of a person to look at the world differently, to change his thinking, has a great influence on the effectiveness of practice. If you choose the right management program, you can get rid of depressive and obsessive states, hyperactive reactions, block fears and stress. Thanks to this technique, patients with anxious conditions can increase their self-control, which allows them to better adapt to the outside world.
Advantages of the BOS-IP device
At the moment, an individual device performing relaxation therapy is very common. It allows you to create a connection based on the electrical resistance of the skin. This is one of the most advanced devices for applying the biological feedback method. Among the main advantages of this device are the following.
- High sensitivity equipment. In other words, a person sees the most minor changes in the state of skin resistance. This characteristic directly reflects the psycho-emotional state of the patient.
- It is easily attached to the hand, and it can be used not only for right-handed people, but also for left-handed people.
- Built-in modern method of acoustic indication with continuous sound and simulated heart rate. At the same time, you can visualize and voice the results of changes in the psycho-emotional state of a person. This greatly simplifies the work of the therapist.
Methods of using BOS-IP
The doctor can work with the patient individually or assemble a group of up to eight people. The patient during the session should sit or lie down. Practice has shown that sitting exercises are better remembered and the acquired skills are then much easier to transfer to everyday life. Before the start of the lesson, the psychotherapist conducts interviews, first explanatory, then simply learns about the condition and well-being of patients. Training lasts no more than half an hour. Conversations take about 15-20 minutes. Trainings are from 2 to 5 times a week. The general course usually ranges from 10 to 15 lessons.
Conclusion
The method of biological feedback was discovered in the last century and now it is actively used for non-drug treatment of various diseases. It is especially effective for the treatment of psychosomatic disorders. Such therapy allows not only to cope with the disease, but also to increase the patient’s self-esteem, to change his view of the world in a more positive direction.
Most often it is used in psychiatry, but is also effective for other medical fields. With the development of modern technologies and the advent of personal computers, it turned out to be optimized not only for treating adults, but also for treating children. The treatment takes the form of a game and is very interesting for the kids.