In the first part of this article, we looked at what biofeedback is, how it works, and what health issues it might help us with. Now we’ll look at if biofeedback might be a good option for you to try.
Basically, biofeedback is a popular choice for many people for many reasons. First, if it works, it can help lower or totally eliminate the need for medications. I was taking a bunch of Advil on a regular basis to deal with my facial pain, but I wasn’t too wild about the idea of my liver having to deal with all that ibuprofen. And those were over-the-counter pain relievers—think about how nice it would be to reduce or cut out the need for more expensive and side effect-heavy prescription drugs. With that in mind, biofeedback can be a good alternative for people whose bodies cannot tolerate the ideal medication they might need for their health issue, or for when people have tried different medications and nothing has really worked.
When you are pregnant and unable to take a lot of traditional medications, biofeedback is a nice option to have. Also, biofeedback is non-invasive—no needles or scalpels required—and it helps us take control of our health. It seems to me that when it comes to a lot of health issues, and perhaps pain-related ones in particular, we feel very out of control. I know I felt that way at times when my jaw hurt all of the time. Getting back in control of our own bodies and helping ourselves feel better is definitely appealing to a lot of people.
It’s worth mentioning that if you decide to give biofeedback a try, you don’t want to just call any Tom, Dick or Harry of the biofeedback world. Talk to your doctor—he or she might be able to recommend someone who has experience treating your specific condition. Some biofeedback therapists are licensed in another area of health, like physical therapy or nursing, and some work under the supervision or guidance of a physician. But state laws do vary on biofeedback practitioners, so it’s definitely a good idea to ask some questions first before making your appointment. For example, feel free to inquire about training and experience and if the person is licensed, registered or certified. A professional biofeedback practitioner will welcome your questions and not be offended by them. You can also ask him or her if they know about how many sessions you will need, and your insurance company can tell you if your appointments will be covered.
Even though I never got to give biofeedback a try, I would love to hear from those of you who have. If you don’t mind sharing, please tell us what you used it for and if it helped. Reading anecdotal stories about different medical procedures is always interesting and it can help others who are considering also trying something but who might be unsure if it will help them.
References:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/biofeedback/MY01072
http://psychotherapy.com/bio.html