Wayne E. Carr Ph.D.

  Biofeedback:

Did you know that biofeedback is used to effectively treat:

• Sleep disorders
• Tension headaches
• ADD
• Chronic pain
• Anxiety and worry
• Muscle tension
• Migraine headaches
• Fibromyalgia
• Work stress
• TMJ
• Panic disorder
• Phobias
• Optimization of physical and mental functioning
• Many other stress-related disorders

Drs. sometimes forget the effectiveness of biofeedback, or mistakenly think of it as a last resort instead of actually the preferred mode of treatment in many cases..
 

BiofeedbackWhat is it?

 Biofeedback involves placing sensors on your fingers, scalp, or on different muscle groups such as the forehead, shoulders or jaw, to measure physiological responses such as temperature, respiration, “sweat gland response”, muscle tension, heart rate, and brain waves (“neurofeedback”.)
(Usually only one or two of these modalities are worked on at any one time during a one hour session.)

Biofeedback involves learning to control one’s physiological responses by learning various relaxation, breathing and visualization techniques, and by looking at the feedback on a computer screen. (E.g. a line on the screen may move downward as forehead muscle tension decreases)

Once the skills are learned,  they are applied to one’s daily life. One learns to pay attention to one’s body’s messages during the day. Much like driving a car and periodically looking down at the speedometer, gas and temperature gage; one learns to check in on one’s body messages and act accordingly.

One thus learns to move out of “emergency mode” into “healing mode”.
Painful symptoms can thereby be reduced.  Biofeedback thereby offers the possibility of less need for medication and fewer side effects. Overall, one’s ability to cope with, and prevent stress can be greatly improved.
 

What is biofeedback for?

Biofeedback is used to treat:
 
Migraine headaches, tension headaches -- often reducing the intensity and  frequency of headaches, and the need for medication.
 
Chronic pain -- often increasing the ability to “dissolve” or decrease the pain and  decrease the need for medication. Helps deal with any accompanying depression.

Sleep disorders (E.g. insomnia) -- often allowing more restful sleep with less  need for medication, by increasing relaxation and reducing related stress.

Work stress -- teaches practical way of “inoculating” yourself against stress at work.  Increases practical coping skills that increase relaxation and work efficiency.

Fibromyalgia -- often increasing the ability to “dissolve” or decrease the discomfort  and decrease the need for medication.

Anxiety, panic disorder, phobias -- biofeedback used with other behavioral  techniques, can effectively treat these problems and reduce or eliminate the anxiety

ADD -- can increase the ability to concentrate, can increase self-esteem, self-control, and  decrease disruptive behaviors.(present$ not covered by most insurance companies)

TMJ -- can reduce habitual clenching, allowing for more rapid, healing to occur. Can  reduce need for surgery

Optimization of physical and mental functioning  -- We all function better at  lower levers of stress when we learn to integrate our mind and body and many other stress-related disorders -- overall, biofeedback empowers us  and allows self-healing. Feel free to arrange a consultation with Dr. Carr to  determine the appropriateness of biofeedback.

Dr. Carr also offers psychotherapy  for anxiety, depression, adjustment problems, grieving, and family & relationship problems, personal growth etc. Biofeedback and psychotherapy treatments can be combined.

Other Biofeedback Information:
The number of sessions, of course, varies according to what is being treated and the speed of progress,  however 10 -12 weekly sessions is a rough average. (with the exception of ADD which can take 30 to 40 sessions) Usually a 12 minute progressive relaxation tape is given, to listen to at home, twice a day.

Many insurance policies cover 50 to 80% of the cost. Sessions are usually
billed at $125 per sessions, with a sliding scale to $85.

Dr. Carr  received a Ph.D in psychology from UNR in 1992, Biofeedback Certification in 1993, an MA in educational psychology from Northern Arizona University in 1982, and a BA in psychology from Sonoma State University in 1973. He has practiced in California, Nevada, and New Jersey. He is originally from Pasadena, California and is settled permanently in Reno. He is currently licensed as a Psychologist for the State of California and should receive Nevada psychologist licensure in the near future. He draws from his back ground in biofeedback, neurofeedback, cognitive-behavioral, and humanistic & Gestalt therapies