I have women tighten the muscles in their arms or in their foreheads and let them hear the beeps, then tell them to relax and compare. A Typical Biofeedback Set-Up Biofeedback machines vary in design. Fairly high-tech but easy to use, they monitor physiological responses such as heartbeat, blood pressure or muscle tension. Reading and understanding these signals can allow you to control your body's reaction to pain or stress. Because stress causes neurochemical changes in your body, many ailments that women suffer are brought on or aggravated by it.
Studies show that biofeedback works.
For similar reasons, practitioners also find that biofeedback training helps relieve hot flashes and premenstrual syndrome. With the use of biofeedback, men and women with diabetes can be taught to increase the skin temperature in their feet and legs, according to a study conducted at the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse. Biofeedback has even been shown to boost women's immune systems. The results of a study of 13 women who had undergone modified radical mastectomies suggest that a daily routine of relaxation , imagery and biofeedback training help boost the immune system by increasing the number of killer T-cells. The whole goal of biofeedback is to be able to do it on your own, notes Dr. McGrady.