Quick! Breathe Now to Relax

The StressEraser is a portable device designed to help users tame their nerves, but at $400 relief won't come cheap. (By Gregory Goode)

THE PRODUCT StressEraser (Helicor, http://www.stresseraser.com , $400), a portable biofeedback device. Insert your left index finger and observe a wave pattern indicating whether you are stressed or relaxed. Wound tight? The device guides you to tame your nerves.

BACK STORY A panic attack about four years ago motivated Michael Wood to develop the product. Unlike other biofeedback devices that measure heart or breathing rates, Wood's unit illustrates the second-by-second battle between your stimulating and pacifying nerves, according to the company's Web site. You see which is winning by the shape of the waves and by the little triangles and squares that appear along the peaks and valleys. (More squares is better.)

CHILL "People will need to experiment with how to" affect the parasympathetic nervous system when first using the device, said Boston University clinical psychologist Stefan G. Hofmann, an anxiety disorder specialist. This is usually accomplished by slowing one's breathing; Helicor recommends exhaling and clearing your mind when a triangle appears on the screen. The device awards points for successful soothing; get 30 points per session three or four times a day, the firm says, and you'll eventually internalize calming behaviors.

STRESS TEST For six weeks, I tried the StressEraser three or four times a week, up to three times a day. I got the hang of slowing down my system pretty easily; my forehead, neck and shoulders felt more relaxed after each session. I felt like I'd just awakened from a nap, but I was not groggy.

ON TRIAL Hofmann is to begin a clinical trial of the StressEraser this month, using 60 people diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. All will be treated with cognitive behavior therapy, which seeks to improve thinking habits, but half will also use the Stress-Eraser and the other half will use muscle relaxation techniques. Said Hofmann, who has no affiliation with Helicor, "I'm pretty hopeful that the device works."

BOTTOM LINE Expensive for something not clinically proven, but apparently effective in a sample of one. And keep in mind that controlling stress is very important to health and well-being.

-- Samantha Sordyl