Biofeedback is a relatively new therapeutic intervention that is making headlines for its potential to help with a variety of conditions. Although the exact reason for biofeedback's success is unknown, its ability to reduce stress is at the core of its mode of action. Biofeedback involves measuring different vital signs, including heart rate. Heart-rate variability biofeedback is currently being researched for its effect on medical and psychological disorders.
Heart Rate Variability
The time in between one heartbeat and the next is referred to as the inter-beat interval, or IBI, and is measured in milliseconds. Your heartbeat pattern is highly varied, with the IBI changing based on your physical, emotional and mental state. Although there are several ways to measure heart-rate variability, one way is to find the difference between the highest heart rate and the lowest heart rate within each cardiac cycle, measured in beats per minute. According to the Biofeedback Foundation of Europe, BFE, variability in heart rate is natural and, in fact, healthy.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback refers to a process in which your body's natural rhythms, such as breathing and heart rate, are measured by electrodes placed on your skin or fingertips. The measurements are displayed on a monitor and can be analyzed by a professional. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, there are three types of biofeedback -- electromyography, thermal feedback and neurofeedback. Electromyography measures muscle tension, thermal feedback focuses on skin temperature and neurofeedback works with brain waves.
Using Biofeedback
Biofeedback can be an effective way to monitor your heart rate, breathing and thought patterns. With the help of a professional biofeedback therapist who interprets your biofeedback data, you can learn to exert control over your internal processes. He may lead you through mental exercises to slow your breathing and heart rate, which can reduce stress and lower your blood pressure.
Heart Rate Variability And Biofeedback
Although research is still in its early stages, heart-rate variability can be increased through biofeedback sessions. Biofeedback practitioners have found that several training pathways can change the rhythms in your heart activity. You must first learn to relax your muscles and your mind, reduce negative or anxious thought patterns and learn to breathe with emphasis on your diaphragm. Once you have accomplished these objectives, the therapist can help you learn to recognize and produce smooth sinusoidal wave forms, which indicates that your heart and lungs are working well together.
Benefits of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback
With increases in heart-rate variability, your body's stress response is lowered. By learning to increase your heart-rate variability through biofeedback, you can reduce stress. Because medical and psychological conditions are linked with stress, heart-rate variability biofeedback is being studied as a possible therapy. A study conducted by Sun Yat-sen University was published in the October 2010 issue of "Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine Research." Led by Dr. S. Wang, researchers showed that biofeedback combined with breathing exercises reduced blood pressure. Similarly, patients with post-traumatic stress disorder found benefit from heart-rate variability biofeedback. Although not a stand-alone treatment, biofeedback may be a useful therapeutic option.
References
- Biofeedback Foundation of Europe: Heart Rate Variability Training
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Biofeedback
- PubMed.gov: Effect of slow abdominal breathing combined with biofeedback on blood pressure and heart rate variability in prehypertension
- PubMed.gov: Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Pilot Study
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