THE TERM BIOFEEDBACK REFERS TO THE PROCESS OF FEEDING BACK TO A LIVING SYSTEM, INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR CURRENT PHYSIOLOGICAL STATE. IN THE PROCESS, INDIVIDUALS’ AWARENESS INCREASES AND THEIR ABILITY TO REGULATE THEIR PHYSIOLOGY IMPROVES.

WHILE NEUROFEEDBACK IS A TYPE OF BIOFEEDBACK THAT WORKS WITH THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (THE BRAIN), PERIPHERAL BIOFEEDBACK USES THE INFORMATION COLLECTED FROM THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, SUCH AS HEART RATE AND VARIABILITY, SKIN TEMPERATURE, SKIN CONDUCTANCE LEVELS, AND MUSCLE TENSION, AND FEEDS THIS BACK TO THE INDIVIDUAL, ALLOWING THEM TO LEARN TO REGULATE THEIR AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM.

THE HUMAN AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM CONSISTS OF TWO MAIN BRAINCHES- THE SYMPATHETIC- ASSOCIATED WITH MOBILISATION (OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE ‘FIGHT AND FLIGHT’ SYSTEM), AND PARASYMPATHETIC, ASSOCIATED RELAXATION (OFTEN LABELLED AS THE A ‘REST AND DIGEST’ SYSTEM).

A HEALTHY HUMAN BEING IS ABLE TO SWITCH FLEXIBLY BETWEEN STATES OF SYMPATHETIC AND PARASYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE WIDE RANGE OF REAL LIFE SITUATIONS THEY MAY ENCOUNTER. THIS FLEXIBILITY IS KNOWN AS HEALTHY HOMEOSTASIS.

CHRONIC STRESS, TRAUMATIC LIFE EVENTS OR BRAIN INJURY ARE ALL KNOWN TO DISRUPT HEALTHY HOMEOSTASIS AND DRIVE INDIVIDUALS INTO A SYMPATHETIC OVERAROUSAL. THIS STATE IS CHARACTERISED BY A RANGE OF COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS, AND MULTIPLE HORMONAL AND NEUROTRANSMITTER CHANGES. IF NOT ADDRESSED, SUCH STATE CAN TRANSITION INTO A VAGAL SHUTDOWN STATE OF NUMBNESS, DEMOBILISATION AND FATIGUE.

PERIPHERAL BIOFEEDBACK ALLOWS US TO STRENGHTEN THE INTERVENTION OF THE PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM, TO BRING BACK FLEXIBILITY AND TO RESTORE HEALTHY HOMEOSTASIS.

BIOFEEDBACK COMBINED WITH VIRTUAL REALITY IMMERSION FOR IMPROVING RELAXATION AND ALLEVIATING ANXIETY