Effects of an EMG biofeedback relaxation program on the control of diabetes: a case study

It was hypothesized that EMG biofeedback relaxation training, applied to a diabetic patient, would result in a decreased level of insulin with fewer episodes of ketoacidosis. A 20-year-old female, diabetic since age nine, kept daily records of insulin doses and rated herself on an emotionality and a diabetic scale. A full-semester baseline was taken. This was followed by a semester-long training program during which the patient practiced relaxing her frontalis muscle with a portable EMG feedback unit which produced a geiger-counter-like click feedback. A cassette-tape series was used along with the portable EMG. The patient was encouraged to practice twice each day and to attempt to maintain a relaxed state even when not in the practice situation. The daily use of the portable unit was terminated at the end of the semester. In addition, the patient ceased practicing twice daily with the cassette tape. Daily insulin averaged 85 units for the six-week baseline and 59 for the final six weeks of the training period. Moreover, at the end of the training period the average dose had reached 43 units. During the training period the patient rated herself as decreasing in emotionality and in diabetic fluctuations.