What is Feedback Loops Occupational Therapy and Biofeedback Services?

People seek Occupational services when they experience problems meeting the demands of life roles.  Pain, stress, illness, or other conditions may limit the ability to perform daily activities. This may challenge an individual's perception of self, creating frustration and anxiety.  

Stress is addressed as a primary factor contributing to many conditions.  Patients are taught techniques to calm their central nervous systems.  Biofeedback is used along with these techniques to help people see in real-time how they can gradually create and shape a more desirable response in their bodies. Sensors attached to the body make people more aware of their muscle tension, finger temperature, respiration, heart rate, and brain waves, which reflect their nervous system activity. Feedback (Lights, sounds, numbers, games) from the biofeedback device, along with education from the therapist, helps people learn how to regulate their responses gradually. Gradual changes can be seen even before the individual can feel that they are relaxing or retraining a response. Biofeedback offers the answer to the question, “How am I doing?” with objective data that is easy to understand.  Biofeedback provides evidence-based information demonstrating that there is no separation between mind and body. Whether stress is the cause of symptoms or a product of dealing with a physical or emotional challenge, quieting the central nervous system can help minimize symptoms and improve health. 

All patient care is viewed within the context of Occupational Therapy practices. Stress and any other presenting symptoms are addressed and treated after considering the patient's perceptions of self, habits, organization, and performance skills. The holistic view is used to understand and address issues that may impact all areas of daily function.

Each of us possesses the ability to improve how we regulate our own physiology. Come and learn how to build new skills to manage stress and/or pain, calm the mind, relax the body, improve attention, and maximize performance.  Work with your occupational therapist to create a personalized concrete plan to help you truly make positive changes in your physical and emotional health. All that is required is motivation and a willingness to explore new possibilities...