Biofeedback is good to treat many disorders ranging from reducing damaged nerves to certain kinds of epilepsy, but more so in treating disorders like TMJ, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic headaches, high blood pressure, stress, anxiety and insomnia. There are several methods of using biofeedback and specific equipment tailored to fight each specific problem. They are:

• Temperature biofeedback: This device monitors skin temperature and helps in disorders of the circulatory system, such as Raynaud’s disease. Here, a sensor is attached to your foot or to the middle of your dominant hand. Whenever you are tense or anxious, your skin temperature drops as blood is redirected to the muscles and internal organs.

This device is as useful and important as the one that measures muscle tension, as it teaches the user to manage stress. It also reduces the frequency of migraine headaches, and promotes relaxation.

• Galvanic skin response (GSH) or Electrodermal Response (EDR): This device is also known by the name of Electrodermal Response (EDR), and measures electrical conductance in the skin, which is associated with the activity and performance of the sweat glands. A very low electrical current is made to run through your skin. The device measures any change in the salt and water in your sweat gland ducts.

If you are very emotionally aroused, your sweat glands become very active and the electrical conductivity of your skin also increases. GSR is useful in treating phobias, anxiety, excessive sweating, and stuttering, and is also used as a lie detector. Athletes also depend on this to know if they are very anxious before a game.

• Electroencephalogram (EEG): Though this is meant to measure and monitor brain wave activity, it is very imprecise. This is because the brain emits a variety of electrical signals of various frequencies of which just a few are linked to specific disorders or mental states that the device can register. These are:
• Beta (awake)
• Alpha (calm relaxation)
• Theta (light sleep)
• Delta (deep sleep)

Alpha waves are observable during a period of relaxation, so researchers believe that patients can find relief from anxiety, insomnia and epilepsy if they can increase their alpha wave activity. But this is possible if alpha training is combined with other therapies.

• Other biofeedback instruments: There are biofeedback machines that can monitor heart rate and blood pressure, both that change according to an increase or decrease in levels of stress, arrhythmia and hypertension.
  For best results, combine biofeedback with relaxation techniques, self hypnotism and psychotherapy. This helps you control your reactions to stress and explore the causes of the stress and your thoughts and behavior that lead to this situation.

• Electromyography (EMG):Biofeedback is good for reducing the frequency and severity of many kinds of headaches, tension and post-accident neck pain symptoms.
• GSR2 or Freeze-Framer: For chronic anxiety and panic attacks, using GSR2 or Freeze-Framer can reduce your symptoms. Add to this counselling and you will get the desired relief.

While undergoing biofeedback training, you can understand your stressors and learn to interpret them and study your physiological response patterns. From this, you learn how to change these responses from a position of abnormal to normal and how to recognize and eliminate stress. With daily practice, you will be well again.