What Is Biofeedback and How Does it Work?

06/02/2022

Biofeedback is a mind-body technique that can be used to help you control some of your body’s functions, such as heart rate or muscle tension. It is the process of increasing the awareness of the physiological functions of your own body. During a biofeedback session, you are connected to electrical sensors that provide you with information about your body to improve a health condition or physical performance.

How Does Biofeedback Work?

 During a biofeedback session, a therapist will attach electrical sensors to various parts of your body to monitor anything from your heart rate, breath, temperature, and/or muscle tension.

Who Uses Biofeedback?

Biofeedback training can be used by anyone, including athletes looking to improve their performance, or individuals going through rehabilitation after surgery or an injury. Physical therapists use biofeedback training to help their patients prevent future injuries, improve their strength, and restore muscle function.

Biofeedback in Rehabilitation

According to the National Library of Medicine, biofeedback has been used for over 50 years in rehabilitation to facilitate normal movement patterns after injury. Biofeedback therapy can help treat muscle tension, weakness, and lack of control. Here are some of the ways biofeedback has been used in rehabilitation:

  • Strengthens the pelvic floor

  • Optimizes treatments, improving muscle strength

  • Improves motor recovery

  • Restores muscle function

  • Prevents future injuries

  • Helps restore neurological functions

Biofeedback for Muscles

The Different Types of Biofeedback

The most common method of biofeedback are as follows:

  • Electromyography (EMG) biofeedback, which measures muscle tension over time.

  • Thermal biofeedback, which measures body temperature over time.

  • Electroencephalography, which measures brain wave activity over time.

EMG Biofeedback System and Rehabilitation

EMG biofeedback system measures the electrical activity produced by specific muscle groups. An example of such a tool that we recommend here at MoveU is the mTrigger® Biofeedback System. This system uses surface electromyography (sEMG) to measure the electrical activity produced by targeted muscle groups during therapeutic exercise.

Biofeedback helps improve a patient’s motor control and strength to regain pre-injury functionality and peak performance levels.

How mTrigger® Can Help

After an injury or surgery, most people suffer from inhibition or lack of volitional contraction (or muscle control). This can cause muscle atrophy, which can lead to muscular issues, increasing your risk of getting injured in the future. mTrigger® helps combat muscle atrophy through biofeedback to improve strength and neuromuscular control. Known as reversing inhibition via voluntary contraction, biofeedback can help awaken neuromuscular pathways and address neuromuscular issues that occur after injury or surgery.

mTrigger® improves muscle activation and learning as well as accuracy through real-time audiovisual feedback. Essentially, the tool improves the overall efficiency of therapeutic exercise and rehabilitation.

Where Can mTrigger® Be Used?

The mTrigger® biofeedback system can be used on your lower extremities, upper extremities, trunk, pelvic, and hands, as well as any muscle group accessible via sEMG.

Learn more about this biofeedback device and how it can help you live a longer, more functional life today.

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