The means to do this include monitoring the physiological response in the client and displaying the signals generated by the monitoring technique to the therapist and client. Biofeedback is a primary treatment for moderate or severe migraine syndromes, tension headaches, and Raynaud's disease. Biofeedback is used in a variety of stress and anxiety producing situations. In all these cases, structured stress and anxiety reducing interventions using biofeedback has proven to be effective. Biofeedback has shown essentially no negative side effects in any of these situations.
Symptomatic relief can mask underlying medical problems.
The client should be motivated. Reading articles, brochures, or talking with a former successful client about biofeedback can help the client understand the benefits of this procedure. Clients with rigid personality traits are not very responsive to a psychophysiologically-based treatment technique. This problem should be solved before biofeedback is attempted. Biofeedback can be used alone or in conjunction with other techniques such as autogenic training, guided imagery and Jacobson's technique.