Positive Health Online

Abstract

HAWKINS and HART, Graduate School of Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California, USA, drrebeccahawkins@hotmail.com, report on the use of thermal biofeedback in the treatment of pain associated with endometriosis.

Background

Endometriosis causes a lot of physical and emotional distress in the lives of women through dysmenorrhoea, pain, or both. This study aims to investigate the use of thermal biofeedback to treat endometriosis-related pain.

Methodology

Multiple case study with 5 subjects.

Results

4 out of 5 participants were able to achieve control over the temperature in their hands through thermal biofeedback. These 4 women experiences significant reductions on various aspects of pain by the end of the study: one had a significant increase in life control, two had reductions in pain severity, three had a decrease in affective distress, and all four experienced a reduction in life interference.

Conclusion

This is a small preliminary study without a control group. Therefore the results should be regarded as suggestive of the potential of biofeedback therapy in alleviating pain associated with endometriosis.

References

Hawkins RS, Hart AD. The use of thermal biofeedback in the treatment of pain associated with endometriosis: preliminary findings. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback 28 (4): 279-288, Dec 2003.