Biofeedback

Overview

From taking a step to typing on a computer, you control many of your body’s physical movements. Some body functions, however, are less voluntary and can be negatively affected by stress. Your blood pressure and heart rate are examples. Because there is a strong relationship between mind and body, biofeedback can teach you how to manipulate some of these functions to give you more control over your body’s response to stress.

Principles

Biofeedback is a non-invasive procedure that utilizes sensors attached to the body to measure physiologic markers for such functions as heart rate, breath, muscle tension, skin temperature and sweat.

During a biofeedback session, the patient views real-time information from these sensors, learning to use exercises and relaxation techniques to obtain a response from the sensors that indicates the nervous system is gaining more balance. Many of the techniques involve altering breathing patterns, as well as increasing body awareness. These learned skills can help calm the mind, relax muscles, reduce pain, and improve overall wellness.

Conditions Treated

Biofeedback may be utilized to help manage such physical and mental health issues as:

• Anxiety, stress or moods
• Chronic pain
• Headache
• High blood pressure
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Sleep issues

Services

During the initial integrative biofeedback consult, your provider considers many factors that can play a role in stress response — including nutrition, lifestyle, sleep, epigenetics and endocrine health — to determine which biofeedback method will most effectively address your issues and if additional approaches are needed. He or she may recommend one or more of the following biofeedback methods, offered by the Samueli Institute, to help you achieve your goals:

• electromyography (EMG) biofeedback, which measures muscle tension
• thermal or temperature biofeedback, which measures body temperature
• electroencephalography (EEG), sometimes referred to as neurofeedback, which measures brain wave activity
• galvanic skin response training, which measures the amount of sweat on your body
• heart variability biofeedback, which measures your pulse and heart rate

Why Choose Us?

As part of the only academic medical center in Orange County, our whole-health providers work together, under the guidance of a board-certified biofeedback professional, to develop treatment plans utilizing evidence-informed modalities that address your specific needs and help you achieve your goals for a healthy and balanced life.

Price

Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute accepts a variety of insurance plans or private pay. Your visit may be subject to copay and deductible. Please contact us at 949-824-7000 for more information.