O/T Prescription needed for biofeedback? Why?

I'm kind of interested in biofeedback as a method for tension headache prevention.

Although I thought most people do sessions through a "provider" (oh, how I hate that word), I assumed you *could* just buy a machine and read the instructions.

This doesn't seem to be the case. Anybody have the scoop on this?

Paul J.

Jim-Bob wrote:I'm kind of interested in biofeedback as a method for tension headache prevention.

Although I thought most people do sessions through a "provider" (oh, how I hate that word), I assumed you *could* just buy a machine and read the instructions.

This doesn't seem to be the case. Anybody have the scoop on this?

Paul J.

I've got a easier solution..... (I see you're in Nebraska)
Stop watching Nebraska football games (especially like the one last weekend). It'll be cheaper.

OK, I did do a search on your "biofeedback" subject, but haven't had the time to read any of it.


Den (moved out of Nebraska a year after the Devaney era was over)

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Hi Paul... I've never heard of biofeedback and a "machine" in the same sentence. Maybe you mean is there a way to do this on your own and not have to see a therapist? Yes, possibly, I know there are books on the subject. Check out Amazon.

If you google biofeedback you'll get all kinds of information. If there is a machine, I'd be very curious about it.

I don't think there is a "home biofeedback" machine; I don't know why but it's a tricky setup and I think it takes some training. I've had biofeedback in a doctor's office... never worked for me and my migraines anyway.

Biofeedback machines have been around for decades. You don't need them, you can learn to do it yourself without them. They help with the "Am I doing this right?" feeling.
The idea that you need a prescription for a machine that basically tells you your heart rate is bizarre.

Go find one on the internet.
Then read up onautogenics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autogenic_training
http://socialanxietydisorder.about.com/ ... ogenic.htm

Each sequence is done in one minute - going in and out of it is one of the important parts of the training, doing the sequence in 5 minutes is not as beneficial as doing it 5 times in 5 minutes.
Note in order to make it work you MUST practice the at least 30 minutes a day every day for the first month or two.

ETA: Do not play with this stuff on your own if you have something like seizure disorder, any kind of mental illness, a heart condition or something else like that, work with a qualified therapist.

Once you get good at it warn any medical person if you need to practice it to help with your condition, they tend to freak out when your heart rate drops dramatically.

This reminds me of a situation I dealt with several years ago when I thought some software would help with some auditory processing issues. Unfortunately, I couldn't obtain it unless I went through a provider which would have cost hundreds of dollars. Needless to say, I didn't pursue it.

When I kept asking why I needed to go through a provider, the response was that I needed supervision and essentially couldn't be trusted to do this on my own. Familiar theme, right? Unfortunately, there was no secret code that was available for me to crack.

49er

See these results of a search at the Quantified Self Forum for posts containing "biofeedback".
https://forum.quantifiedself.com/search ... order=desc

Seems to me there a quite a few ways one might try such experiments. One very simple way might be to try to reduce one's pulse count while watching an attached inexpensive pulse-oximeter.

Because Zeo hacks allowed real time brain wave monitoring, I believe there were a number of experiments done with it. See maxdarkside signature link for an example http://wiredapneic.blogspot.com/2012/04 ... s-zeo.html