"Kids just love biofeedback"

Rebecca Kajander is a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and has been treating children and adolescents for nearly 40 years. She has helped many children to take care of themselves using self-care skills, and helped many more to understand and live with ADHD. Rebecca is the co-author of a number of self-care books for kids. In 2000, she became “Pediatric Nurse Practitioner of the Year” by the Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.

Rebecca Kajander had been working as a nurse for some time, when she was certified as a pediatric nurse practitioner. “That was a long time ago, back in 1973. I made this step because I wanted more clinical skill and opportunity than was available to me as a nurse.” Soon, she discovered the possibilities of the body/mind interaction. “I started using techniques like breathing and hypnosis and found that various self-care skills can be very powerful, even with kids and adolescents.” Some 10 years later Timothy Culbert, who is currently medical director for the Pediatric Integrative Medicine Program for Ridgeview Medical in Chaska Minnesota, introduced her to the field of biofeedback. She instantly was enthusiastic about biofeedback. “I just knew it would be great for kids!”

Kids learn faster with biofeedback

In her practice, Rebecca uses biofeedback for a number of applications. “I treat children who suffer from headaches and other pain, tics, anxiety, sleep issues and habit disorders. Besides that, I use it to generally teach kids about the mind/body interaction.

Compared to more traditional methods, Rebecca finds that biofeedback interventions are much faster. “I appreciate how kids' learning and understanding of the mind body interaction increase exponentially with biofeedback. That's also true for their ability to control and master physiologic changes, like heart rate. And it can be generalized to so many issues, that's just great!”

Rebecca works with young clients, who have few difficulties adapting the biofeedback methods. “Kids love it! They are so accustomed to the computer and being interactive with it. They're very eager to try it. But at the same time they are also a bit disappointed in the lack of fun games and 3D images they are accustomed to.”

Working in a medical facility, Rebecca uses the medical code for the visit. “This is because I use many interventions, not just biofeedback. But biofeedback, per se, continues to be very poorly reimbursed by insurance.” As a devoted advocate of biofeedback, she would love to see that change, since that would open the door to this effective treatment for many other young patients.

Biofeedback games

Rebecca has been using several biofeedback systems, among which the NeXus-10. “I bought the NeXus-10 when it first came out, during a workshop with Stens Corporation in Atlanta. Before that, I used a competing system. I loved the games that came with that, such as golf and baseball. Sadly these aren’t available with NeXus yet and I do hope that will change in the near future. I chose the NeXus because I wanted to update and use the laptop version.”

Rebecca is positive about the future of biofeedback. “I expect it will continue to grow with technology and provide people with more home strategies for healthy living.” A view that Mind Media strongly supports

Rebecca Kajander is a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and has been treating children and adolescents for nearly 40 years. She has helped many children to take care of themselves using self-care skills, and helped many more to understand and live with ADHD.

Rebecca is the co-author of a number of self-care books for kids. In 2000, she became “Pediatric Nurse Practitioner of the Year” by the Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.

Rebecca Kajander had been working as a nurse for some time, when she was certified as a pediatric nurse practitioner. “That was a long time ago, back in 1973. I made this step because I wanted more clinical skill and opportunity than was available to me as a nurse.”Soon, she discovered the possibilities of the body/mind interaction. “I started using techniques like breathing and hypnosis and found that various self-care skills can be very powerful, even with kids and adolescents.”Some 10 years later Timothy Culbert, who is currently medical director for the Pediatric Integrative Medicine Program for Ridgeview Medical in Chaska Minnesota, introduced her to the field of biofeedback. She instantly was enthusiastic about biofeedback. “I just knew it would be great for kids!”

Kids learn much faster

Kids learn fasterIn her practice, Rebecca uses biofeedback for a number of applications. “I treat children who suffer from headaches and other pain, tics, anxiety, sleep issues and habit disorders. Besides that, I use it to generally teach kids about the mind/body interaction. Compared to more traditional methods, Rebecca finds that biofeedback interventions are much faster. “I appreciate how kids' learning and understanding of the mind body interaction increase exponentially with biofeedback. That's also true for their ability to control and master physiologic changes, like heart rate. And it can be generalized to so many issues, that's just great!”

Rebecca works with young clients, who have few difficulties adapting the biofeedback methods. “Kids love it! They are so accustomed to the computer and being interactive with it. They're very eager to try it. But at the same time they are also a bit disappointed in the lack of fun games and 3D images they are accustomed to.”

Working in a medical facility, Rebecca uses the medical code for the visit. “This is because I use many interventions, not just biofeedback. But biofeedback, per se, continues to be very poorly reimbursed by insurance.” As a devoted advocate of biofeedback, she would love to see that change, since that would open the door to this effective treatment for many other young patients.

About Rebecca Kajander

Rebecca has been using several biofeedback systems, among which the NeXus-10. “I bought the NeXus-10 when it first came out, during a workshop with Stens Corporation in Atlanta. Before that, I used a competing system. I loved the games that came with that, such as golf and baseball. Sadly these aren’t available with NeXus yet and I do hope that will change in the near future. I chose the NeXus because I wanted to update and use the laptop version.” Rebecca is positive about the future of biofeedback. “I expect it will continue to grow with technology and provide people with more home strategies for healthy living.” A view that Mind Media strongly supports!