Biofeedback Therapy Experiment
Alternative Assignment
Biofeedback therapy is a type of therapy designed to help
patients become attuned to the way in which the body
reacts to stress and learn ways to use the mind to
influence many of the body’s involuntary functions. In a
biofeedback therapy session, a patient is hooked to
various sensors and is asked to view changes in heart
rate, blood pressure, muscle response, or other
physiological indicators on a computer screen as he or
she experiences stress. Patients learn how their bodies
respond to this stress and monitor the way in which
relaxation techniques change physiological output as measured on the screen. The eventual goal
of this therapy is that patients will be able to positively affect their physical response to stress,
even when not looking at their feedback data. Biofeedback therapy has helped people with
panic attacks and anxiety, digestive disorders such as Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS), chronic headaches and asthma.
Assignment:
Apply a relaxation technique to your own body’s responses to stress. You must work with a partner
in order to gather all necessary data. Read through the procedure so you can perform the tasks
back – to – back for the most accurate data.
Procedure:
1. Choose a “stress-inducing” activity to complete in 60 seconds.
a. Ideas for stress-inducing activities include:
i. Play the game Operation and remove 10 body parts WITHOUT touching the
sides in 60 sec.
ii. Play Jenga and move 15 pieces in 60 sec. without knocking it over
iii. Build a house of cards that is 3 stories high in 60 seconds.
iv. Put together a 48 piece puzzle correctly in 60 seconds.
b. Remember: activity should not be very physical, as that will alter results.
2. Perform the activity and have partner gather the following data:
a. Number of respirations (breaths) taken during one minute of activity.
b. Pulse rate as soon as activity is completed.
c. Temperature taken as soon as activity is completed. (axillary, sublingual (under
tongue) or forehead thermometers are fine)
3. Record data.
4. Choose a relaxation technique to use for 60 seconds.
a. Ideas for relaxation techniques can include:
i. Deep belly breathing
ii. Soft music
iii. Guided imagery
5. Perform the activity and have partner gather the following data:
a. Number of respirations (breaths) taken during one minute of activity.
b. Pulse rate as soon as activity is completed.
c. Temperature taken as soon as activity is completed. (axillary, sublingual (under
tongue) or forehead thermometers are fine)
6. Record data.
7. Analyze your data and answer the conclusion questions.
Stress
Relaxation
Heart Rate
Respiration Rate
Body Temperature
Conclusion Questions
1. Do you expect your heart rate, respiration rate, and temperature to go up or down in times of
stress? Explain your reasoning for each.
2. Why do you think seeing the body’s reaction on a screen may help some people control their
stress levels?
3. Explain why having continuous heart rate data (EKG) would provide even more useful data to
your biofeedback experiments.
4. What hormone is produced during the Fight or Flight response?
5. Explain which physiological indicator, heart rate, respiration rate, or skin surface temperature,
allowed you to see the greatest response by your body. Why do you think this was the case?
6. Referencing the way in which the nervous system works, explain why your skin surface
temperature rose when you started to calm down.
7. Describe how two medical conditions might be helped by biofeedback therapy.
8. Describe at least two medical interventions that have been developed to help people cope with
stress.
9. Some scientists do not subscribe to mind-body therapy as a legitimate medical intervention. Why
do you think this is? What evidence could you provide to validate the power of biofeedback?
10. Provide advice for a patient who is struggling with anxiety over painful and stressful cancer
treatments. Give a strategy that may help him/her get through the treatments.