Biofeedback Vs. Neurofeedback: What’s the Difference?

If you’re struggling with stress, anxiety, or chronic pain, you may have sought help from an MD, therapist, or counselor. But what happens when traditional therapy isn’t enough? That’s where biofeedback and neurofeedback come in. These therapies use electrical signals to help train the brain to better regulate its own activity. As a result, you can learn to control the disrupting symptoms that keep you on the sidelines.

If you haven’t heard of biofeedback & neurofeedback or are confused about how they can help you – you’re not the only one! We’ve been getting tons of questions lately on biofeedback & neurofeedback in our free microcurrent training sessions over at the Pain Free For Life Support Group on Facebook.

Due to increasing interest in this topic, we thought now would be a great time to answer some of the most frequently asked questions by our patients, including:

  • What are biofeedback and neurofeedback?
  • How can biofeedback and neurofeedback accelerate the healing process?
  • Biofeedback vs. neurofeedback: what’s the difference?
  • And, of course, where can I pick up a microcurrent device capable of biofeedback & neurofeedback today?

What is Biofeedback?

Biofeedback controls certain body functions, such as brain waves, breathing, sweat gland activity, muscle contraction, body temperature, and heart rate. You will use your microcurrent device to establish a connection with the brain and body and enable your brain and body to talk with the device. This process is internally called “Dosing” and “Zeroing”.

Biofeedback allows you to control your body in a whole new way. The result? An improvement in difficult-to-treat chronic health conditions, enhanced cognitive abilities, improved physical performance, and much, much more.

What Conditions Can Biofeedback Treat?

Biofeedback is reportedly helpful in a variety of different conditions, including:

  • TMJ
  • Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
  • Raynaud’s disease
  • PTSD
  • Panic Attacks
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Insomnia
  • High blood pressure
  • Headache
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Constipation
  • Chronic pain
  • ADHD
  • Asthma
  • Anxiety
  • Stress

Is Biofeedback a New Concept?

Biofeedback is not some obscure concept. It’s often used in conventional medicine, evidenced by the following applications:

  • Electromyography (or EMG) – Which measures muscle tension
  • Thermal biofeedback – Which measures the temperature of the skin
  • Electroencephalography (or EEG) – Which is used to measure brain wave activity

What’s truly revolutionary about our approach to biofeedback lies in the fact that we are finally making it more accessible to the masses and shouting from the rooftops about its versatility. It’s all automated, and done by the device!

How Biofeedback Accelerates Healing

Biofeedback therapy helps to reduce a wide variety of symptoms by lowering sympathetic arousal (also known as the fight-or-flight response). If you read our blog, Halt the Pain Brain Connection With Microcurrent Therapy, you probably remember us talking about the “Dosing and Zeroing” process. This form of automated biofeedback allows you to divert your brain’s attention to a specific area of concern and communicate that there is no reason to continue causing pain.

By identifying and changing physical reactions associated with mental activities, biofeedback trains your brain to regulate involuntary bodily functions more efficiently and effectively control the stress response.

Though we talk about biofeedback as if it were a treatment, it is actually more of a training process in which the patient must take an active role to be most effective – this is why we believe performing biofeedback training on yourself is so beneficial.

Please review the research spotlight below to see how biofeedback has helped those with chronic back pain.

Please watch the short video below to learn how our patient, George, lessened his COPD symptoms to enhance his mobility, increase his energy, and improve his quality of life with our biofeedback technology:

What is Neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback that uses EEG to provide feedback to the brain about its electrical activity. This feedback helps the brain to learn to self-regulate its activity. Neurofeedback effectively treats various conditions, including ADHD, anxiety, and PTSD. It is a non-invasive, drug-free treatment that can provide lasting results. Neurofeedback is safe and well-tolerated, and there are no known side effects.

How Does Neurofeedback Accelerate the Healing Process?

Neurofeedback is a therapy that uses electrical impulses to stimulate the brain. The goal of neurofeedback is to help the brain function more effectively. Neurofeedback has been used to treat various conditions, including ADHD, anxiety, and depression. Neurofeedback can also be used to accelerate the healing process after a brain injury.

Neurofeedback is used in conventional medicine in various ways, such as:

  • Neurofeedback is an effective treatment for conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, and depression.
  • Neurofeedback has also been shown to help improve sleep quality and reduce stress levels.

Neurofeedback treatment protocols focus on the alpha, beta, delta, gamma, and theta brain waves. These five brain waves are commonly known as ” The Five Waves.” Each wave has a different frequency and is associated with different mental states. Please review the image above to see how each type of wave and how they compare when measured in Hertz.

What Conditions Can Neurofeedback Treat?

By using neurofeedback therapy, patients can learn how to control their brain waves to be more productive and focused. This is especially beneficial as it helps with:

  • ADD/ADHD
  • PTSD
  • Insomnia
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Headaches
  • Memory
  • Anxiety and Stress
  • Depression

To best demonstrate neurofeedback’s healing capabilities, we thought it would be beneficial to share the results of a recent Systematic Review.

Microcurrent, Biofeedback, Neurofeedback & How to Get Started

Suppose the healing capabilities of biofeedback and neurofeedback have you intrigued. If you’d like to start immediately, we have some great news! You can do so with the help of a microcurrent device from our Avazzia line!

Our entire line of microcurrent devices were designed in collaboration with Avazzia and our team of doctors (Drs. John, Lorry Hache, and Dr. Robert Vanbergen) to meet Pain Free For Life’s exacting standards. When creating our Avazzia Life devices, we knew biofeedback capabilities were a must-have due to this modality’s versatility, efficacy, and the many requests we’ve received from our patients.

Why not be part of the cutting edge by investing in a microcurrent device capable of biofeedback?

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices, like microcurrent therapy and biofeedback, are gaining traction, with roughly 12% of adults reporting they had used CAM therapy in the past 12 months in a 2007 study, and those numbers are only rising.

Review the table below to select the right device for you.

New to Microcurrent? We’re Here to Help!

Do you need more help deciding on your Avazzia microcurrent device? In that case, we invite you to check out our blog, Best Microcurrent At-Home Devices for Chronic Pain.

If you have any additional questions about how our line of Avazzia devices can transform your health and wellness with the help of biofeedback technology, please schedule a free introductory consultation by clicking here.

Someone from our compassionate and experienced team will be more than happy to help you figure out whether this healing technology is right for you and expertly guide you in getting started if it is. 

Sources cited:

Neurofeedback as a Treatment Intervention in ADHD: Current Evidence and Practice – PMC (nih.gov)

Neurofeedback for Pain Management: A Systematic Review – PubMed (nih.gov)

Biofeedback and Pain – UCI

Biofeedback – PubMed (nih.gov)