The “Duhhh Factor”

Patients can learn self-regulation skills and biofeedback-assisted relaxation in the office, yet fail to show symptomatic improvement. In many cases, the individual is perpetuating behavior in the workplace or elsewhere that hinders healing and symptom reduction, or exacerbates their complaints. A brief case example of a 25-year-old male with repetitive motion injury from computer use serves to illustrate the problem. The biofeedback practitioners used cognitive reframing and humor to assist the patient to accept work and “workstyle” changes facilitating symptom reduction.