Biofeedback for Stress and Health

The Stress Epidemic

Stress is an epidemic in the western world.–

The American Medical Association states that:

•Stress is the cause of 80 to 85 percent of all human illness and disease.
•Over two-thirds of office visits to physicians are for stress related illness.
•Stress is a major contributing factor either directly or indirectly to coronary artery disease, cancer, respiratory disorders, accidental injuries, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide; the six leading causes of death in the United States.

–Every week, 95 million Americans suffer some kind of stress related symptom for which they take medication. (holistic-online)

Cost of Stress

The stress epidemic is an extremely costly one.

–The medical costs alone have been estimated in the United States at well over 1 Billion dollars per year. –Stress costs industry approximately 150 billion dollars per year in increased health insurance outlays, burnout, absenteeism, reduced productivity, costly mistakes in the office and on the shop floor, poor morale, and high employee turnover. (Rhodes)

What is Stress?

Stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to handle.

–Fight or Flight:

•Stress sets off an alarm in the brain, which responds by preparing the body for defensive action. The nervous system is aroused and hormones are released to sharpen the senses, quicken the pulse, deepen respiration, and tense the muscles.

–Stress Hormone:

•Cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone,” is released in the body during stressed states. Short-lived or infrequent episodes of stress pose little risk. But when stressful situations go unresolved, the body is kept in a constant state of activation, which increases the rate of wear and tear to biological systems ultimately creating fatigue or damage, and the ability of the body to repair and defend itself can become seriously compromised. As a result, the risk of injury or disease escalates.

The Impact of Stress

Excesses or deficiencies of cortisol can lead to the following. These issues are most likely effecting many of your patients or clients:

Symptoms	Health Issues
Moodiness	Depression
Trouble sleeping	Heart disease
Poor emotional control	Stroke
Chronic fatigue	Immune
Change in appetite	Eating problems
Change in sex drive	Diabetes
Weight gain	Pain
Feeling helpless	Sex/Reproductive issues
Feeling dependent	Memory

Stress Management

A stress management program provides instant relief, but more importantly retrains an individual to recover from stress triggers more easily to keep their hormone levels in balance.

In addition to a reduced risk of the health issues mentioned earlier, the benefits of a good stress management program include:

Improved quality of life
Improved outlook on life
Improved health
Improved concentration
Improved memory
Increased productivity
Improved morale

Stress Management Techniques

While there is no one single technique or therapy for everyone to use to relieve, reduce and manage stress, relaxation is at the core of most stress reduction methods.

–Relaxation is not something that everyone can achieve without assistance and guidance. –The most common categories of relaxation techniques are:

•Biofeedback
•Mind-body therapy (meditation, breathing, guided imagery)
•Bodywork (massage)
•Holistic medicine (acupuncture, naturopathic medicine, etc)
•Lifestyle choices (exercise, nutrition, sleep, etc)

What is Biofeedback?

Biofeedback is a learning process in which people are taught to improve their health and performance by observing signals generated by their own bodies. It is scientifically based and validated by studies and clinical practice.

The word "biofeedback" was coined to describe laboratory procedures that trained research subjects to alter brain activity, blood pressure, muscle tension, heart rate and other physiological responses often thought to have been beyond voluntary control. Biofeedback-assisted physical changes are accompanied by feelings of relaxation, improved motor control, and often by relief of dysfunctional physical and/or
emotional symptoms.

Biofeedback is non-invasive. When used clinically, a therapist attaches sensors or electrodes to the body and these sensors provide a variety of readings--feedback--which is displayed on equipment, usually a meter or a computer, for the patient to see.

One commonly used device called the electromyogram (EMG), for example, picks up electrical signals from the muscles. It translates the signals into a form that people can detect, such as a flashing light and/or a beeper, every time muscles become more tense. If one wants to relax tense muscles, one must try to slow down or eliminate the flashing or beeping.

People learn to associate sensations from the muscle with actual levels of tension and develop a new, healthy habit of keeping muscles only as tense as is necessary for as long as necessary. After treatment, individuals are then able to repeat this response at will without being attached to the sensors.

Other biological functions which are commonly measured and used in these ways are skin temperature, heart rate (EKG, BVP), sweat gland activity (GSR, SC), respiration, and brainwave activity (EEG).

Heart Rate Variability

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is the variation of the intervals between heartbeats, the benefits of which are currently a leading area in medical research. It has been shown that high HRV correlates with a healthy heart, a longer and healthier life, as well as increased happiness and positive emotions. Current medical research also shows that low HRV is an important predictor of many causes of disease and death.

Our Wild Divine products teach you specific breathing and relaxation techniques proven to increase your variability.

Benefits of Increased HRV

Increased HRV activates the baroreceptors in the body which positively effect the following:

1.Blood pressure and thermoregulation begin to normalize.
2.Brain synchronizes with the heart, creating better performance on cognitive tasks and increased reaction time.
3.Immune system boosts.
4.Heart rate normalizes.
5.Positive emotions increase.

Increased HRV is healthy for mind, body and emotions enhancing overall quality and longevity of life.

Skin Conductance Levels

Skin Conductance Levels (SCL) measure the electrical responses of the skin to mental and physical stress. Increased stress triggers an increase in SCL – the opposite is also true, deep relaxation triggers a decrease in SCL.

Clinicians rely on electronic biofeedback systems in somewhat the same way that you would rely on a thermometer. Their systems can detect a person's internal bodily functions with far greater sensitivity and accuracy than a person can alone. With this information, patients can learn to make changes so subtle that at first they may not be consciously perceived. This information may be valuable, as both patients and therapists can use it to gauge and direct the progress of treatment.

Studies have shown that we have more control over supposedly involuntary bodily functions than we ever thought possible. Researchers have proved that many individuals can alter their involuntary responses by being "fed back" information either visually or audibly about what is going on in their bodies. As a result, biofeedback can train individuals with techniques for living a healthier life overall - whether one has a medical condition or not.

Why Biofeedback Works

•

The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is the involuntary internal control system for our glands and organs.

–Heart Rate and SCL biofeedback are direct windows to ANS activity, health, and flexibility.
–We can learn voluntary control of the ANS by practicing self-regulation techniques.
•Learning is faster when we get immediate feedback via biofeedback instruments.

30 Years of Results

Biofeedback has proven to be an effective therapy for the following conditions:

–Anxiety
–High Blood Pressure
–ADHD
–Pain
–Incontinence
–Migraines
–Asthma
–Concentration issues
–Irritable Bowel Syndrome
...many more conditions…