Biofeedback is a technique that uses monitoring instruments to measure and feedback information about muscle tension, heart rate, skin temperature, or brain activity. Biofeedback can be an important part of understanding the relationship between physical state and thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is also viewed as a mind-body therapy method used in complementary medicine.
The purpose of biofeedback is to enhance an individual's awareness of physical reactions to physical, emotional, or psychological stress, and their ability to influence their own physiological responses. The overall purpose is to develop self-regulation skills that play a role in improving health and well-being.
Biofeedback has been used as a part of a comprehensive treatment approach with a number of conditions, including chronic pain, migraine and other headaches, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), Raynaud's syndrome, epilepsy, attention-deficit/hyper activity disorder(ADHD), anxiety, depression, traumatic brain injury, and sleep disorders.