Modern pain therapy with biofeedback

Definition of pain

In an attempt at a definition, the International Association for the Study of Pain (lASP) describes pain as ” […] an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage […].” A distinction is commonly made between chronic and acute pain. “Acute” describes an occurrence of pain lasting from a few seconds to weeks, which is often associated with a clearly identifiable causal relationship. Chronic pain is associated with a persistent feeling that cannot be traced back to a cause and persists even after an illness or injury has healed^.1

Back pain

Back pain can often be traced back to muscle tension caused by incorrect or relieving posture or a structural defect such as a herniated disc. Biofeedback training can help patients to consciously release tension and thus reduce pain.

Tension headaches/migraines

Tension headaches are often a side effect of mental stress or stressful situations and occur together with increased muscle tension in the neck, shoulder and facial muscles. The action potential of these muscle groups is measured in biofeedback therapy and reported back to the patient. This allows the patient to consciously concentrate on relaxing these muscles so that the tension is released.

Sources

^{From “Chronischer Schmerz – eine Gegenstandsbehandlung”, B. Kröner H.-D. Basler et al. (eds.), Psychologische Schmerztherapie© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1996}