Our human mind and body are linked together with the most basic level of cause and effect. When our mind does something, our body reacts, and vice versa. When something happens with the body, our mind reacts. This output is called biofeedback. The prefix “bio” means “life” and “feedback” means return of data to its origin. We can train our minds and bodies to react when we want through a certain type of therapy. This is called biofeedback training or therapy. Biofeedback training is the technique of making unconscious or involuntary bodily processes (as heartbeat or brain waves) perceptible to the senses in order to manipulate them by conscious mental control (Merriam-Webster.com). Biofeedback therapy is a non-drug treatment in which patients learn to control bodily processes that are normally involuntary, such as muscle tension, blood pressure or …show more content…
Through this kind of therapy, a person can develop a deeper and voluntary control over the physical process. There are a lot of people who suffer from tension headaches to anxiety that can benefit from biofeedback. There are also a lot of different instruments used in the training or therapy of biofeedback. These instruments measure brainwaves, heart function, breathing, muscle activity, and temperature. The data is then put into a computer for results. This is a harmless technique. When no other treatment is working, people tend to lean towards biofeedback therapy basically as their last resort. Biofeedback treats a variety of conditions and symptoms. Some include chronic pain, asthma, high blood pressure, anxiety, stress, and tension headaches. Some of the training can include meditation, relaxation, and visualization. These techniques teach the body psychological control over the physical process. Biofeedback therapy is not just a onetime session. It must be many sessions over a period of time to have results. The session can last from a half hour to an hour and it has to be a quiet, free
Autogenic training is a method of stress reduction developed in the early 20th century by physiologist Oskar Vogt. While working with a group of hypnotic subjects, Vogt realized that when they went into a hypnotic state, they had a significant decrease in tension, fatigue and headaches. Inspired by this newfound information, a psychiatrist named Johannes Schultz decided to expand Vogt’s research in order to learn more about the workings of autogenics (Olipin & Hesson, 2010). Schultz was able to discover that through self-directed hypnosis, subjects were able to experience sensations of heaviness and warmth, primarily through their arms and legs. From these observations, “Shultz developed a system designed t...
However biofeedback does not involve direct control of, for example, blood pressure or heart rate. Control is exerted indirectly. For example, breathing deeply, using methods of relaxation can produce changes in various physiological measures. Also it is hard to interpret the beneficial effects of biofeedback. Relaxation training is often given along with the biofeedback, making it hard to tell whether it is the biofeedback or the relaxation training that is more effective.
After rapidly and unexpectedly losing all ability to know where her limbs were without looking at them as well as her ability to speak, the woman spent a year in rehab learning how to control her vocal cords and to move on her own again. Sacks’ patient had lost her ability to perceive her body position, and despite her rehabilitation, she never regained that sense. Without using her eyes to see where her limbs were at any given moment, the woman would crumple into a heap like a lifeless doll. Although her body, like all others, has body-position sensors in her muscles, on her tendons, and in her joints (Kasschau, 1985, p, 205), the woman’s brain had either ceased to receive or ceased to interpret the signals sent from the sensors. Sacks not only helped to treat the woman’s physiological symptoms, but helped her to deal with the emotional aspect of her recovery, much as a clinical psychologist would. She was able to express her feelings about her struggle to recover, and Sacks took those feelings seriously enough to include in his tale. The woman’s case is an interesting one that merits further study by a physiological psychologist, but Sacks’ initial study opened that door to the
A technique made up of a series of instructions and suggestions that place a person in a trancelike state of mind, possessing similarities to being asleep. Only, in this trance a person is able to hear and respond to questions or suggestions, these states are otherwise known as hypnosis. However, when it is combined with hypnotic suggestion and therapeutic understanding, it is then referred to as hypnotherapy. This alternative treatment therapy has proven to be beneficial in many circumstances. A few of these being, pain management, anxiety, the cessation of smoking, weight control and many other physiological and psychological circumstances. Over time hypnotherapy has proven to be helpful in treating a wide range of health conditions, not only medical patients but as well as nonmedical ones.
The biological perspective examines how brain processes and other bodily functions regulate behaviour. It emphasizes that the brain and nervous system are central to understanding behaviour, thought, and emotion. It is believed that thoughts and emotions have a physical basis in the brain. Electrical impulses zoom throughout the brain’s cells, releasing chemical substances that enable us to think, feel, and behave. René Descartes (1596–1650) wrote an influential book (De Homine [On Man]) in which he tried to explain how the behaviour of animals, and to some extent the behaviour of humans, could be like t...
...ransports them to all tissues of the body. Adrenaline excites the heart to increases muscle strength, like the reaction that comes from anxiety. Noradrenaline constricts blood vessels and helps transmit nerve signals. These chemicals are vital to many autonomic activities. Although the autonomic nervous system acts automatically, it is possible to have control of some autonomic functions. Biofeedback is teaching a person to control body functions like reducing heart rate. The benefits are that it can be used to relieve headache by moving blood away from the head to lessen pressure or by lowering high blood pressure. The fact that the body’s automatic functions can be affected by the mind greatly contributes to the understanding of the autonomic nervous system. In conclusion, the nervous system is an important part of science because understanding it can help save lives. Millions were saved from heart attacks, strokes, etc. from treating the nervous system. Understanding about the nervous system is also necessary for psychologists, physicians, and neurologists. Future experiments of the nervous system can benefit the human race by producing cures for presently incurable diseases.
Reflexology is the theory that the human body can be healed from disease or imbalance through pressure to specific points on the hands, feet, and ears (http://www.doubleclickd.com/reflexology.html). This alternative form of healing is doubted by many, although there are studies that support its theory.
Our nervous system interacts with every other system in your body. The endocrine system works with our brain and central nervous system, to control the creation of specific hormones and enzymes. The digestive and excretory systems work with the nervous system in a conscious and unconscious ways. We can't tell our stomach where the food goes after we ingested it. The body is programed to function voluntarily and
The mind being the main control of the body. Many individuals have problems connecting the two due to consciousness of the mind and how it makes us who we are and that having no connection with our body. We do have strategies and ways to see how our mind and body works but not necessary our consciousness in reasons as why we choose to do certain things, who we are, personality, or even free will. Others can only see our body and how we look but not who we are. If we did have a connection between our mind and body we can assume that it allows us to choose and control our body. If that is the case we would be able to control our bodies and their properties. Feeling pain, hunger, laughter, or is it that the mind can only control portion of the body as sending signals from the brain to our bodies. We don’t connect both because either we create them in our mind we can control them, since its not the case either someone else creates them or something does. I think that the mind is not physical at all but as far as being connected to the body maybe just a portion of it. Because of science we know that we need our bodies to exist or continue to exist. I guess we will never know since we don’t have proof of anyone surviving without their bodies and are here to tell their
The purpose of of autogenic training is to reprogram the mind so as to override the stress response when physical arousal is not appropriate (Seaward, 2012, p. 488). Beliefs related to the regulation of bodily functions began
Derived from several ancient healing practices, therapeutic touch is based on the theory of human energy fields - every person has an energy field that surrounds the entire body. During therapeutic touch treatment, practitioners use their hands, without actually touching the person, to re-establish a healthy energy flow. Therapeutic touch seeks to restore balance within the body while also stimulating the patient's own healing response. The practice of therapeutic touch is used worldwide in thousands of hospitals, clinics, and private practices. It is an easily learned, successful complement to other healing programs.
Mind-body therapy - This includes meditation and breathing exercises like yoga, massage therapy or acupuncture.
Biomedical therapy is when a person is given medication to help treat their disorder, except it's more for management of the symptoms as it doesn't cure the disorder ("Module 14.2: Types of Treatment"., n.d.). However, not all people using biomedical therapy are also use psychotherapy or vice versa. Psychotherapy is more focused on personal growth to overcome problems ("Module 14.2: "Types of Treatment"., n.d.). I personally believe that what is most effective depends on the person. Some people only need psychotherapy where others may only need a biomedical solution and others need both. There isn't a right answer for every single person as there's so many variables to consider when seeking treatment.
This paper will discuss the mind-body connection and it's relevance to health care professionals and to the public. It will explore the history of the mind-body connection, as well as state research that has been done on the subject. The reader will gain an understanding of the various techniques used in mind-body therapy, as well as their effectiveness.
...f your thinking" (Temes 11). The unconscious mind, which controls all of the automatic processes in your body involuntarily, allows any idea to stick in your brain. With the conscious mind absent, the brain does not judge any new incoming ideas, so the mind will agree and believe them with no doubt. In this comfortable, subconscious-free state, "your guard is down; Ideas you might ordinarily object to are easily transmitted into your mind. You will not reject new information that you might ordinarily be wary of" (Temes 12). As a result, one can easily overcome phobias the mind usually rejected or feared, and also take into consideration new characteristics or habits. With your brain mentally managing almost every aspect of your actions and character, this control of the mind allows for an effective alternative or medical technique to help aid in several situations.