Biotech Values

[apljack]

Dew and Mouton, I'd have to go back into the literature about 20 years for the references, but in a nutshell, deep respiration works to lower HR, blow off CO2, and stimulate parasympathetic responding, in turn lowering BP. The mechanism for chronic lowering, as identified back in the late 70's and early 80's, included lowering stress corticosteroids associated with high BP environmental cues (removing the physiological responses to stress helps to lower the overall stress in a positive feedback loop). It was also thought that the treatment was providing a reserve for blood pressure to increase by resetting it to a lowered baseline. Something akin to removing water from a full pail, allowing more water to accumulate rather than spill over.

The results, if memory serves, were consistent, but not as robust as the ad in question would have you believe. When taken over the course of the day, BP would continue to spike, but use of the relaxation technique would, simply by multiple sampling, provide overall lower readings. Most patients who failed to follow up on practice quickly returned to baseline. Those who were very successful, however, would describe that the simple technique could be life changing, with individuals finding themselves automatically practicing the technique through the strength of habit.

I have read peer reviewed articles that document control of medical conditions from acne to herpes zoster and many ailments in between, so treating intraocular pressure with biofeedback doesn't surprise me in the least.

Before I took the path into neuropsychology, this line of work was the most intriguing specialization that I studied and I almost went down this path. For those interested in the minutae of theoretical behavioral medicine, I did publish an article on the cognitive mechanism(s) for why biofeedback works. The abstract can be read at the following:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/x1575k7uh60683l5/

regards

aj