Somatic Vision

Somatic Vision is curious what your experience has been of Biofeedback. Have you used it in a clinical setting — as a psychotherapist or as a patient? Has it helped you?

Biofeedback is a way to learn to control some of the things your body does, like your heart rate. During biofeedback, you are hooked up to electrical sensors that help you learn about your body.

Different kinds of biofeedback
Depending on your health problems and goals, your therapist may use different biofeedback methods. Some kinds of biofeedback are:

Mind waves. This type uses scalp sensors and an electroencephalograph to track your brain waves (EEG).
Breathing. During respiratory biofeedback, bands are put around your stomach and chest to track how and how fast you breathe.
Heartbeat. This type uses sensors in the finger or earlobe and a device to measure changes in the amount of blood (photoplethysmograph). An electrocardiograph (ECG) can measure your heart rate and how it changes by using sensors on your chest, lower torso, or wrists.
Muscle contraction. An electromyograph (EMG) is used to place sensors on your skeletal muscles and measure the electrical activity that makes your muscles contract.
Action of the sweat glands. With an electrodermograph (EDG), sensors attached to your fingers, palm, or wrist measure how active your sweat glands are and how much sweat is on your skin. This tells you if you're stressed.
Temperature. Sensors on your fingers or toes measure how much blood is getting to your skin. Because your temperature usually goes down when you're stressed, a low reading can make you start to relax.