What is biofeedback?

Biofeedback is a process that uses your body’s own signals like heart rate and body temperature to bring about healthy changes.

Are there different kinds of biofeedback?

Yes. There are many kinds, but these are some of the most common ones:¹

How does biofeedback work?

Biofeedback can improve health issues that are caused or worsened by stress. Using a two-step process, biofeedback can help you relax and reduce your stress.¹

1. The first step usually involves paying attention to your body signals such as heart rate, blood pressure, or tension in your muscles. You can determine your heart rate by finding your pulse and counting how many times your heart beats within a minute.  Average heart rates are usually between 60 and 100 beat per minute. If you’re an athlete, it might be lower.⁴ More advanced tools such as sensors or electrodes are required to measure muscle tension or other body or brain functions.
2. The second step involves trying to alter your body signals. Once you know your heart rate or level of muscle tension, you can experiment with improving them and measure your success. Your health care provider may be able to give you suggestions on how to get started. For example, he or she might tell you to focus on taking slower, deeper breathes or imagining a calm and pleasant nature scene. This may help your body and mind relax, which can cause your heart rate to slow down.

Over time, biofeedback may help you decrease your blood pressure, lower muscle tension and pain, and improve other areas of your health. It is a simple idea, but like most things it takes some time and practice.