Biofeedback Shows Promising Results in Treating Chronic Pain
In a systematic review, researchers explored how biofeedback impacted rehabilitation in patients experiencing chronic pain disorders.
Biofeedback (BFB) showed significantly promising results as a noninvasive, supplementary treatment option for managing chronic pain (CP) through its ability to regulate pain and improve patients’ quality of life, according to data published in Heliyon.1 With researchers finding BFB benefits for headaches, lower back pain (LBP), and fibromyalgia, they suggested future studies focus on the optimization of BFB for specific types of pain.
CP is different from acute pain, lasting longer than usual healing periods, and it impacts around 20% of the global population. CP is usually presented within a patient through persistent pain, muscle stiffness, and emotional distress. To avoid further exacerbating a patients’ CP, experts have searched for noninvasive treatment options, and BFB has shown promising, yet preliminary results.
“By utilizing devices that deliver real-time feedback on metrics such as heart rate, blood pressure, and skin temperature, patients can learn to modulate their physiological reactions to stress and discomfort effectively. This process involves placing sensors on the body to monitor specific functions, with the feedback typically displayed on a screen for intuitive interpretation. For instance, individuals experiencing CP can identify patterns of muscle tension and practice relaxation techniques to mitigate their symptoms,” wrote authors of the study.1
BFB is a technological advancement that allows patients and their providers to get a more detailed look into the body’s functions. | image credit: Nata / stock.adobe.com
BFB is a technological advancement that allows patients and their providers to get a more detailed look into the body’s functions. With the help of technology and physical hardware attached to patients, BFB is able to deliver metrics regarding patients’ breathing, brain waves, heart rate, sweat gland activity, and much more.2
READ MORE: Cebranopadol Shows Lower Abuse Potential Compared to Existing Pain Therapies
“This systematic review aimed to examine the mechanisms underlying BFB's therapeutic effects in CP rehabilitation, specifically its ability to enhance self-regulation and promote relaxation to improve pain control,” they continued.1 “Furthermore, it aimed to evaluate the impact of BFB on key outcomes, including pain severity, functional capabilities, and quality of life, with the goal of guiding its integration into contemporary rehabilitation practices.”
They reviewed research papers from 2014 to 2024 and conducted a systematic review using various internet databases. All included papers focused on BFB for treating CP disorders such as headaches, neck pain, fibromyalgia, pelvic pain, coccydynia, and LBP. Furthermore, the studies had to include BFB as a primary or secondary treatment option as well as provide details on pain outcomes. After researchers explored close to 1500 research articles, a total of 25 were included in the final review.
The 25 included research papers focused on the efficacy of BFB for a series of conditions: LBP rehabilitation (10 papers), reducing headaches and neck pain (5 studies), treating fibromyalgia and pelvic pain (5 papers), and long-lasting pain conditions (5 papers).
“The results of this systematic review indicate that BFB is a promising adjunctive therapy for CP, providing potential advantages across various conditions, such as LBP, fibromyalgia, headaches, and pelvic pain,” continued the authors.1 “These findings highlight BFB's ability to enable patients to handle pain by enhancing self-regulation and control over their physiological reactions.”
As the authors stated, BFB can serve as a hopeful option for the future of pain management. With more technology available to advance noninvasive treatment options, patients experiencing CP may be on a better path to relieving their long-term symptoms. However, with any new technology, patients and providers might be hesitant to adopt BFB, leading to more research necessary for its advancement within pain management.
“BFB shows significant promise as a supplementary treatment for different CP disorders. Across diverse populations, BFB demonstrated significant improvements in pain management, functional outcomes, and quality of life. While evidence strength varies, larger, well-designed randomized controlled trials could confirm its broader applicability,” concluded the authors.1
READ MORE: Pain Management Resource Center
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