Measuring brain activity to treat chronic pain. “In the experiment, Tibbits goes into a brain scanner. Her first task is to make her injury hurt as much as possible. This shows the researchers what brain areas are activated by her pain, and that gets translated into the rising flame. A flame, says Mackey, is an excellent representation of pain.
Tibbits then uses breathing techniques, pleasant thoughts, muscle relaxation — any tool of biofeedback — to lower the brain activity and reduce the pain. She says it helps.”
