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The SPC Biofeedback Card |
The SPC Biofeedback Card is a temperature-sensitive biofeedback device. It measures tension by responding to the temperature of your fingertips. This is based on the physiological principle that threatening or stressful situations, and situations where you are not in control, cause the blood to surge inward to the vital organs, away from your extremities, causing cold hands and feet. If you use your Biofeedback Card at this point, it will register black or red (cold hands), indicating that you are stressed. When you relax, and believe you are in control of a situation, the circulation in your hands and feet returns to normal and your hands should be warm. The Biofeedback Card will now register blue (warm hands). Be sure that temperature of the surroundings is between 700 and 740F. If the room temperature is too cold or too warm, you might get a false reading.
How does the SPC Biofeedback Card help to control stress and to decrease the urge for a habit that you would like to change?
First of all, as a stress monitor, the Biofeedback Card will help you to become more aware of when you are stressed or less in control. Test yourself at random times of the day, and at times you have an urge or need for a habit that you wish to change. Many people are actually unaware of how stressed they are. They seem to stay at a high level of stress so much of the time that they come to accept it as normal and are surprised when they repeatedly register black.
Secondly, and much more important, the Biofeedback Card will also act as a stress-control device. Whenever you feel stressed or a lack of control and the card registers black, go through one of the relaxation tips given below (and on the back of the card) until your card registers blue! The nice thing about these tips is that they take only seconds, can be done just about anywhere, and they work! They may be used quite effectively to manage stress, regain your sense of control and to substitute new habits when faced with the urge for an old habit that you wish to change.
The fact that you can see immediate results in terms of the color change acts as a tremendous reinforcement toward regaining control and conditioning in the relaxation response. Immediate reinforcement is the basic principle behind biofeedback training.
The U.S. Navy has ordered over a quarter of a million SPC Biofeedback Cards for its alcohol and drug abuse program. Many HMOs have ordered a large number of cards for their members including Kaiser Permanente order of 200,000. This underscores the effectiveness of the SPC Biofeedback Card. |
1. The Clenched fist: Clench your fists tightly for a count of ten tightening up your whole body. Release and let your whole body go completely loose and limp. This is a shortcut version of a very commonly used relaxation technique – Jacobson’s Relaxation method also known as Progressive Relaxation). The latter involves first a tightening then a loosening of the muscles starting with the feet and gradually working up the body to the face and scalp – until the body is as loose and limp as a rag doll. The idea is that the extreme contrast caused by first tightening and then letting go will produce a greater state of relaxation.
2. The deep breath: Take a deep breath and hold it for a count of ten. When you exhale, let it all out at once, letting your body go completely loose and limp.
This is related to the first technique in that it too involves an initial tightening followed by a sudden and complete release as you let your breath out all at once. In addition, it takes advantage of another basic principle - the fact that the body is most relaxed when exhaling.
3. The breathing countdown: Breathing normally. Let go more and more as you let out each breath, while counting slowing form 20 to 10, one number per breath.
By focusing on the "letting go" feeling as you let out each breath you are intensifying the relaxation. With each additional breath let go even more to produce a cumulative effect. Counting backward (one number per breath) helps create the effect of descending - becoming more relaxed with each exhalation. One nice thing about this particular tip is that it involves normal breathing, so you can do it anywhere and no one needs to know.
4. The warm hands: Imagine yourself basking in the warm sun on a beach or soaking in a hot tub until you can actually feel warmth come into your hands.
This tip uses the principle that the power of thought directly affects the body. An example of this principle in action is what happens when you’re hungry and begin anticipating your favorite meal. Your mouth automatically start watering - a physiological response (salivation) caused by a thought.
In the same way, thoughts of warmth can have a direct effect on your blood circulation. And since we know that the blood flowing out to the extremities is directly linked with relaxation, thoughts of warmth - especially warm hands - will cause an automatic relaxation response
