Homeostasis and biofeedback

Homeostasis of human organisms is the maintenance of a hierarchy of steady state conditions with little variation from, and prompt return to, a stabilized level during function. Any one of the information channels which informs the organism of the state of homeostasis can be used as 'biofeedback', i.e. to increase awareness of inadequate control and to teach new control mechanisms. If homeostasis is the basis of good health, disease may be considered a deviation from homeostasis. Through the use of biofeedback the subject may be made aware of poor health and learn to make adjustments to achieve homeostasis. Clinical application and results in several chronic disorders illustrate some successes and limitations of this approach.