Most of the physiological processes occur without conscious human involvement. And this is not for nothing, because if we had to control every heartbeat, every breath and every peristaltic wave of the intestine, then we would hardly have enough energy and time for all other things. Nevertheless, the lack of awareness of physiological processes has a significant drawback: in the case of illness and other pathological conditions, a person does not seem to be able to intervene and easily remove the cause of the disease. For example, to reduce excessive tension of the frontotemporal muscles to eliminate headaches. The solution to the problem can be BOS therapy as the beginning of conscious control of your body.

Biofeedback is a technique that helps a person to see and correct most of their physiological functions safely and non-invasively. It works as follows: during a standard session, various sensory sensors are attached to the body, which record the physiological parameters of any functional system of the body (musculoskeletal, nervous, respiratory, etc.). This data is then transferred to special blocks where it is processed and analyzed. After that, information about the condition and changes in certain indicators is provided to the patient in any form available to him, for example, in the form of visual or auditory feedback signals. If a person manages to change the controlled parameter in the right direction, then he receives positive reinforcement: a pleasant-to-hear signal or music sounds, a remark of approval. Otherwise, there may be an unpleasant noise.

Image: biofeedback.expert In addition to the standard form of the session, the BOS training can take place in virtual reality (VR) mode. Then the data on physiological activity is returned to the patient in the form of graphic or audiovisual animation, which provides a more realistic perception and impression.

Image: www.behavioralassociates.com Let’s look at a specific example: if a person suffers from a phobic disorder (say, he is afraid of flying), then the best solution for him would be to regulate the nervous system and emotional reaction. After the specialist performs a diagnosis and identifies the appropriate link in the system where the violation occurs (for example, when viewing disturbing images related to flights, the patient’s pulse jumps to 140 beats per minute), he suggests undergoing a course of BOS therapy. The patient’s goal is to learn how to induce a state of peace and comfort, despite the presence of stressful stimuli. So, during the session, frightening images and information about his heart rate will be displayed on the monitor screen. A person sees what happens to the rhythm during provocation by phobic stimuli and tries to maintain the initial state of rest. And after a number of sessions, he manages to do it. The phobia is defeated.

Image: www.psyfactorplus.com Thus, with the help of BOS devices, a person gets the opportunity not only to “look” into the “physiological mirror”, that is, to see and hear what is happening inside his body, but also to independently adjust the operation of his own functional systems. Such regular training (BOS therapy, as a rule, is prescribed in courses) simultaneously develops self-control skills, and over time, these devices are no longer needed to regulate the activity of one’s body — a person can control internal physiological processes independently, without outside help. So, the BOS trains him to change his heart rate, adjust the rhythms of brain activity, regulate emotions, lower blood pressure and body temperature, remove pain, reduce stress reactions, and much more. Having learned how to manage their resources and their condition, a person gets the opportunity to live a full life.

BOS is increasingly being used in the clinical field: psychology and psychiatry, neurology, cardiology, geriatrics, urology, pediatrics, preventive and rehabilitative medicine, and others, as well as in non—clinical practice: for example, in pedagogy, where BOS technologies are used to improve learning effectiveness, in art — to develop creative abilities. in sports — to enhance athletic skills and improve results , etc . BOS therapy is used as a prevention and treatment of many conditions and diseases, including chronic ones.:

• increased blood pressure and hypertension,
• headache, chronic body pain (neck, back, lower back, etc., as well as fibromyalgia), phantom pain,
• fecal and urinary incontinence, constipation,
• respiratory diseases (bronchial asthma, COPD, etc.),
• stuttering,
• decreased visual acuity,
• stress, depression, anxiety, phobias,
• insomnia,
• chronic fatigue syndrome,
• impaired motor functions in injuries and various diseases associated with aging (restoration of gait, posture, balance, increased muscle tone, etc.),
• cognitive impairment, and others.

Alpha Training (Biocybernaut Institute, USA) is a whole program with training and brain wave regulation training. As part of the training, trainees study information about specific areas of the brain in which waves are recorded, and “get acquainted” with their own rhythms. Then an experienced specialist evaluates their electroencephalogram (EEG), selects individual training. Depending on the program level, the biofeedback device provides information about alpha rhythms through auditory, vibrational, and visual signals. The patient’s task is to coordinate the waves of different brain channels with each other. Such regulation, according to scientists at the Biocybernaut Institute, allows you to achieve emotional well-being over time (overcome depression and anxiety, relieve stress, manage anger, be more positive), increase creativity by 50% and IQ by 11.7 points, defeat addictions and even slow down the aging process (by slowing down the frequency of alpha waves). Research conducted by the institute has shown that their BOS devices work effectively and can improve performance on a psychological and physiological level.

Image: fb.ru “Reakor” (Medikom MTD, Russia) is a rehabilitation psychophysiological complex with biofeedback. Reactor devices: “BOS”, “BOS-Egoscope” and “Egoscope” are aimed at increasing human resistance to stressful factors through monitoring the dynamics of psychophysiological indicators. They are used as therapy for autonomic dysfunctions, cardiovascular diseases, motor disorders and attention deficit and/or hyperactivity disorder in children, as well as in the rehabilitation of patients with the consequences of strokes, traumatic brain and cerebrospinal injuries. The basic procedures of BOS training include measuring and changing heart rate, temperature, EEG, EMG, ECG, respiration, cerebral circulation and other indicators. Feedback is presented in the form of visual signals (graphs, scales, diagrams, images, videos, text) and auditory (musical fragments, sounds of nature, voice messages).

Image: medicom-mtd.com Scientists from the Siberian State Medical University have tested whether the Reakor complex can be effective in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. They examined 43 patients aged 31 to 78 years, and then conducted a combination therapy, including medication and barefoot training. As a result of such therapy, patients showed a statistically significant improvement in their psychoemotional parameters: they became less anxious, depressed, apathetic, and more active in their daily activities. “Myomed 632X” (Enraf-Nonius, the Netherlands) is a biofeedback device used to correct and treat diseases such as urinary incontinence, feces, constipation, paralysis, stress—related muscle disorders, and others, as well as to train the strength and coordination of pelvic muscles. It is a universal device for performing therapeutic and diagnostic procedures with biofeedback on electromyography and intractal pressure. A study conducted on 52 women with pelvic floor dysfunction showed that after 12 weeks of using the Myomed device, almost 80% of them showed significant improvement in symptoms.

Image: enraf-nonius.ru The StressCam application (Darta Systems, Russia) provides an opportunity to improve the condition with the help of biofeedback breathing training. During the session, the “StressCam” measures the pulse rate and displays the cycles of inhalation and exhalation at a preset frequency. In this case, the breathing depth parameter is used as feedback. If the user reaches the required depth, the application “praises” him, giving him a rating of “good” or “excellent”.

Image: habr.com

Bio—management helps to use the most remarkable feature of the brain – the ability to self-regulate and self-organize. It is enough just to “inform” him that he is not working as he should, and then he will independently rebuild the work of the necessary functional system. BOS therapy provides an opportunity to activate the body’s own resources, launch beneficial processes, realize and unlock the potential that was already built in the beginning. By taking responsibility and seeing positive changes, a person himself changes dramatically both psychologically and physiologically. And all this is due to the BOS. Photo: fb.ru