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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Anyone tried/read about Bio-feedback?
        
(Message started by: seannap on Jul 6^th, 2004, 1:59am)

Title: Anyone tried/read about Bio-feedback?
Post by seannap on Jul 6^th, 2004, 1:59am

Bio-feedback therapy is getting more and more attention as of late... has anyone tried/hear about / considered bio-feedback for ch?

Not sure whether I do or don't believe that bio-feedback does really work, but am interested to find out.

Title: Re: Anyone tried/read about Bio-feedback?
Post by pubgirl on Jul 6^th, 2004, 8:05am

Damn, I AM getting old. I was around the first time people claimed Bio-feedback worked many years ago until it was totally discredited. :(

Wendy

Title: Re: Anyone tried/read about Bio-feedback?
Post by floridian on Jul 6^th, 2004, 8:34am

There's something called the circulatory technique that Charlie posts here - somewhat akin to biofeedback, it reportedly helps some people. But I have not seen any biofeedback (with wires, monitors, etc) that helps with cluster headaches.

For tension headache and migraine, biofeedback and relexation therapy can be useful.

Quote:

Paediatr Drugs. 2002;4(9):555-61.

Behavioral treatment of migraine in children and adolescents.

Baumann RJ. Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0284, USA. Baumann@UKY.EDU

Behavioral interventions, particularly biofeedback and relaxation therapy, have demonstrated their effectiveness in the treatment of both adults and older children with migraine in controlled trials. ...

Quote:

Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2002 Jun;27(2):163-81.

Behavioral management of recurrent headache: three decades of experience and empiricism.

Penzien DB, Rains JC, Andrasik F.

UMC Head Pain Center-Psychiatry, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, Mississippi 39216-4505, USA. dpenzien@psychiatry.umsmed.edu

In the past three decades, behavioral interventions (chiefly relaxation, biofeedback, and stress-management) have become standard components of the armamentarium for management of migraine and tension-type headaches. Meta-analytic literature reviews of these behavioral interventions have consistently identified clinically significant reductions in recurrent headache. Across studies, behavioral interventions have yielded approximately 35-50% reduction in migraine and tension-type headache activity. Although we have only recently begun to directly compare standard drug and nondrug treatments for headache, the available evidence suggests that the level of headache improvement with behavioral interventions may rival those obtained with widely used pharmacologic therapies in representative patient samples. In recent years, some attempts have been made to increase the availability and cost effectiveness of behavioral interventions through alternative delivery formats and mass communications. Recent developments within diagnosis and classification are summarized, pointing out implications for behavioral researchers. Select future directions are discussed, which include impact of the triptans, cost and cost effectiveness, and integration of behavioral treatments into primary care settings, the place where the great majority of headache sufferers receive treatment.

Title: Re: Anyone tried/read about Bio-feedback?
Post by Charlie on Jul 6^th, 2004, 8:51am

Well: I suppose one can use the term biofeedback to describe this technique. I hesitate to do so. I call it physical. Here it is and good luck:

Dr. Wright’s Circulatory Technique

What follows is a technique learned from a neurologist:

I am not sure what mechanism is triggered by this but whatever it is, at least indirectly helps kill the pain. I do know that this technique has nothing to do with meditation, relaxation, or psychic ability. It is entirely physical and takes some work. It involves concentrating on trying to redirect a little circulation to the arms, hands, or legs. It can described as a conscious circulatory flexing. Increased circulation will result in a reddening and warming of the hands. Try to think of it as filling your hands with redirected blood. The important and difficult part is that it has to be done without interruption through the pain. Do not give up in frustration. It may not work on the first try. Every now and then it will work almost immediately. I lived for those moments. Try experimenting between attacks. You will find that it gets easier with practice.
I was given less than five minutes instruction in the use of method. The doctor, while placing his arm on his desk, showed me that he could slightly increase his arm and hand circulation. After several attempts, I was able to repeat this procedure and use it successfully. I have had about a 75% success rate shortening these attacks. My 20 minute attacks were often reduced to 10 minutes or less. Once proven that I had a chance to effectively deal with this horror, I always gave it a try as I had nothing to lose but pain.
Perhaps it will help if you think of it as trying to fill the arm as if it is were an empty vessel. I used to try to imagine I was pushing blood away from my head into my arm. Use your imagination. There is one man who wrote that his standing barefoot on a concrete floor shortened his attacks. This may be similar as it draws some circulation away from the head. Cold water, exercise, or anything affecting circulation, seems to be worth a try. My suggestion is to not let up immediately when the pain goes. Waiting a minute is probably a good idea. So long as you do not slack off, this has a chance of working.
This technique is very useful while waiting for medication to take effect or when none is available. It costs nothing, is non-invasive, and can be used just about anywhere. It is not a miracle but it helped me deal with this horror. It can be a bit exhausting but the success rate was good enough for me and a cluster headache sufferer will do just about anything to end the pain. It gives us a fighting chance.
I hope this technique is helpful and I wish you the best of luck

Charlie

Title: Re: Anyone tried/read about Bio-feedback?
Post by don on Jul 6^th, 2004, 11:07am

Yup, I tried it.

I damn near shut the machine down and STILL had an attack in the middle of it.

Title: Re: Anyone tried/read about Bio-feedback?
Post by Xilor on Jul 7^th, 2004, 8:47am

I too have a pain-relieving method that would probably fall somewhat under this category. I originaly made it to empty my head when I was having sleeping trouble, but I also found it was more or less nullifying the headache as well. It's probably something akin to meditation or stress relieving or whatever, I don't really care as long as it works. I haven't disected the method very thoroughly, so I'm not sure what makes it tick, what parts can be ignored and what is essential though. I'll just tell you what I do, and if it can help anyone else, all the better.

The method requires that I lie down though, so it may not be very suitable in all situations. Anyways, I lie down on my right side (my headache is directly behind my left eye) with my chin rather high, but not uncomfortably so. Also I tend to have a window open for some cool air, but I don't think that's got anything to do with it. Just for comfort :P The hardest part really is willing myself to lie calm and keep my eyes shut. Then I breathe slowly through the nose and move my eyes in a fixed pattern along with my breath. The other tricky part is that the same pattern doesn't always seem to work, but I have two that generally alternates on working.

It's gonna be a bit tricky describing these patterns, but I'll try. What's important to me is what the left eye is doing, not, it seems, the right eye. I tend to imagine a moving spot on the pillow that I track, so when I say from the tip of my nose, I'm just indicating where the eye is pointing, not what I'm focusing on (or would be focusing on if my eyes were open)

Anyways, the first pattern is simply from the tip of my nose to between the eyes (or as far right as you can look without big pain) on inhalation, and the same way back on exhalation.

The second pattern is just a variation but now instead of going in a direct line I go from the same start in an arc along the nose to the bridge and back down to the same end and back out. Just experiment. ;)

After only some 10-15 repetitions the intense stab has been reduced to an insignificant shadow if I get the pattern right. Now the big challenge is not to stop. It's very easy to become relaxed when the pain goes away, and the mind starts to wander and concentration slips. But if it does too soon, the stab is back in full force. This is the point that really requires a force of will, not to give in to despair now and start trashing, but just lay still, put on a serene mask and start over again. It's well worth it. After a while the attack ceases completely or I fall asleep. Either is welcome.

Good luck.

Title: Re: Anyone tried/read about Bio-feedback?
Post by Root on Jul 10^th, 2004, 7:47pm

Tried it in 89 and 90 with no luck. The way CH is, it might work for someone else. [smiley=smokin.gif]

Title: Re: Anyone tried/read about Bio-feedback?
Post by seannap on Jul 11^th, 2004, 11:42pm

Thanks, everyone, for your input...

ANYTHING is worth a try... especially the cost-free and non-invasive.

Like you all say - some things work for some people, and nothing works every time. The way I figure it... the more tricks i can put in my bag... the better chances to beat the devil!

Many blessings to everyone here!

Title: Re: Anyone tried/read about Bio-feedback?
Post by ave on Jul 12^th, 2004, 5:38am

Xilor, with any attack I ever had, whatever I did, after a while the pain went away...
Cluster attacks are like that.
They usually come back again, regrettably.

About the hardes thing to do in a cluster attack is to lie down. I won't say it can't be done at all, but...
It took me all of my willpower to SIT down and stay seated in an attempt to beat the cluster, when I had no medication and no idea what I was suffering from.

The pain went eventually, to return 2 hours later and 2 hours later etc. Usually 5-6 attacks every night. No way I coullay down under that...

Are you sure youare talking clusters here?

Title: Re: Anyone tried/read about Bio-feedback?
Post by don on Jul 12^th, 2004, 7:31am

The idea behind biofeedback is to gain control over your psycho/physical responses. In other words to efficiently calm yourself mentally and physically.

Thats optimum conditions for a CH attack when I'm in cycle.

Biofeedback may be beneficial under some circumstances but I found it to be detrimental for treating CH.

Title: Re: Anyone tried/read about Bio-feedback?
Post by Prense on Jul 12^th, 2004, 10:15am

Wooden feedback:

Head vs Door ;;D

I'll say this...
Just as the pain of CH reaches an intensity you never dreamed imaginable, lay down and see what happens.

Chris

Title: Re: Anyone tried/read about Bio-feedback?
Post by mikeslieber on Jul 18^th, 2004, 6:49am

I have had migraines since I was a teenager, then in my 30s I got my first cluster attacks.

After being chronic for about 6 years I went to Diamond Headache Clinic for my clusters. They taught bio-feedback there.

The first day ,after learning what bio-feedback was and how to perform the technique, I realized it was similar to self-hypnosis which I had learned through my wifes Dr. to control pain.

The first 10-15 minutes went fine I was able to relax and get the oscillating line on the computer screen to go very low and flatten out. (Indicating good mind control over relaxing. I was able to get the tempurature of one hand a few degrees warmer then the other.

In my relaxed state however I got a Cluster attack and they called the nurses to get me out and I recieved my injections to relieve the cluster.

I use this often to lessen the pain of a migraine or the residual pain of a cluster after the intense pain has lessened and sitting still is possible.

The second day of bio-feedback the same thing reocurred and that was my last time in the biofeedback room.

The Dr.s told me that bio-feedback wasn't an option when a CH attack came on so quickly and the pain level went to 8-10 kip within a few minutes.

However I think that bio-feedback or self-hypnosis is a very useful tool and I suffer considerably less with it's use. Learn it if you can. Good Luck MikeSLieber

Title: Re: Anyone tried/read about Bio-feedback?
Post by pam s on Jul 18^th, 2004, 6:21pm

This has nothing to do with biofeedback, but with drawing blood away from the head. I take a hot bath, which draws blood to the lower part of the body, then splash my face, which draws it away from the nasal cavity. It also lowers blood pressure. This doesn't work for some, for whom a hot bath triggers a cluster. In the distant past, aspirin, coffee, and baths were the only tools I had to get through a CH.

Pam

Title: Re: Anyone tried/read about Bio-feedback?
Post by don on Jul 18^th, 2004, 10:07pm

Well Pam I'm happy you no longer need the aspirin and happier you still take baths. 8)