If you have ever taken your temperature or stepped on a scale to see how much you weigh, you have used biofeedback. The temperature and weight readings from these devices give "feedback" about your body to tell you whether you have a fever or have gained weight.

This information will help you make decisions about what to do next. In a similar way, biofeedback therapists use specialized equipment to train patients to improve their health by using signals from their own bodies.

Biofeedback is a non-invasive form of treatment. The therapist attaches sensors or electrodes to the body and these sensors provide a variety of readings - feedback - which is displayed on the equipment for the patient to see. The signals typically measure skin temperature, heart rate, muscle tension and/or brainwave function.

With this information, patients can learn to make changes so subtle that at first they cannot be consciously perceived. With practice, however, the new responses and behaviors can help to bring relief and improvement to a variety of disorders.

Through biofeedback a migraine sufferer can learn to ward off headaches. A stroke victim may regain muscle use. A child with ADD or ADHD may see improved concentration and control. Individuals with stress-related disorders learn to relax and improve their overall health.