Biofeedback in rehabilitation

Abstract

This paper reviews the literature relating to the biofeedback used in physical rehabilitation. The biofeedback methods used in rehabilitation are based on biomechanical measurements and measurements of the physiological systems of the body. The physiological systems of the body which can be measured to provide biofeedback are the neuromuscular system, the respiratory system and the cardiovascular system. Neuromuscular biofeedback methods include electromyography (EMG) biofeedback and real-time ultrasound imaging (RTUS) biofeedback. EMG biofeedback is the most widely investigated method of biofeedback and appears to be effective in the treatment of many musculoskeletal conditions and in post cardiovascular accident (CVA) rehabilitation. RTUS biofeedback has been demonstrated effective in the treatment of low back pain (LBP) and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. Cardiovascular biofeedback methods have been shown to be effective in the treatment of a number of health conditions such as hypertension, heart failure, asthma, fibromyalgia and even psychological disorders however a systematic review in this field has yet to be conducted. Similarly, the number of large scale studies examining the use of respiratory biofeedback in rehabilitation is limited. Measurements of movement, postural control and force output can be made using a number of different devices and used to deliver biomechanical biofeedback. Inertial based sensing biofeedback is the most widely researched biomechanical biofeedback method, with a number of studies showing it to be effective in improving measures of balance in a number of populations. Other types of biomechanical biofeedback include force plate systems, electrogoniometry, pressure biofeedback and camera based systems however the evidence for these is limited. Biofeedback is generally delivered using visual displays, acoustic or haptic signals, however more recently virtual reality (VR) or exergaming technology have been used as biofeedback signals. VR and exergaming technology have been primarily investigated in post-CVA rehabilitation, however, more recent work has shown this type of biofeedback to be effective in improving exercise technique in musculoskeletal populations. While a number of studies in this area have been conducted, further large scale studies and reviews investigating different biofeedback applications in different clinical populations are required.

Validation of smartphone gyroscopes for mobile biofeedback applications

“…The person attempts to act on received information to change the body motion as desired. In contrast to natural or intrinsic biofeedback, which is based on proprioception, augmented or extrinsic biofeedback relies on information from artificial devices [6][7][8][9]. Thus, systems using inertial sensors are classified as augmented biofeedback systems.…”

“…One particular use of accelerometers and gyroscopes is body motion tracking in biofeedback systems in the above-mentioned applications. In this paper, the term ''biofeedback'' refers to body activity in the sense of physical movement, which is classified as biomechanical movement biofeedback [6].…”

Use of Game Console for Rehabilitation of Parkinson's Disease

“…Rehabili- tation programs that include task-oriented and visual-auditory feedback are effective in improving daily living activities (13). The games used in the current study were not originally designed for rehabilitation, but they were still effective because they were able to provide such feedback to the patients.…”

A Context-Aware Application to Increase Elderly Users Compliance with Physical Rehabilitation Exercises at Home via Animatronic Biofeedback

“…Within the portfolio of tools that therapists currently have at their disposal, biofeedback has become particularly popular [3,4], with clinical evidence showing that it is an engaging technique with multiple benefits for the patient [3][4][5][6]. As a way of improving the effectiveness of treatments, one of the latest trends has been the extension of the rehabilitation process to people's homes with biofeedback exercises designated by the therapist to be performed autonomously by the patient at home, in-between sessions at the clinic [7][8][9].…”