Biofeedback is anything that give your brain information about what your body is doing. When you look in a mirror you are giving your brain information about your posture, facial expression etc. This is an example of biofeedback. In my practice I use sEMG(surface electromyography) and pressure manometry as a tool to tell us what your muscles are doing and how well they are doing it. We can then use the feedback to guide strengthening or "downtrain" muscles that are held too tightly as in pain syndromes.
Electromyography: The technology of EMG picks up the impulses put out by a muscle when it contracts and converts them to a graph on the computer screen. With this we can see how active the muscle is at rest and with activity.
Pressure manometry uses a sensor filled with air. Pressure is put on this sensor by the muscle group being tested and the muscle strength and coordination in measured via the graph on the computer.
Muscle facilitation: In physical therapy we use different forms of "facilitation" to activate a muscle. Nerves tell muscle to contract by sending an electrical impulse. We can replicate this impulse by using an electrical impulse at a frequency setting that mimics the nerve. This treatment is always done within the comfort zone for each patient.