exploratory study of biofeedback in reducing pain after thoracic surgery

This study is a pilot concerning the relationship between acute pain management and biofeedback training. The population studied included patients from a local community hospital undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The study applied theories of the mind/body connection and stress frameworks for exploring the correlation between patients' hand temperatures and their reported levels of pain pre-operatively and post-operatively. Study findings indicated that there was significant within-subjects effect in hand temperature after biofeedback treatment across three points in time. But the study also found no difference between-subjects in hand temperature after biofeedback treatment across three points in time. Therefore, the sample proved to be heterogeneous. Further study was indicated with larger samples to demonstrate the analgesic effects of biofeedback in the management of acute pain.