Biofeedback

What is biofeedback?

Biofeedback therapy builds on physical therapy by incorporating the use of equipment to record or amplify activities of the body and feed the information back to the patients.

Who can benefit from biofeedback?

Adult and pediatric patients can both benefit from biofeedback.

In adults, biofeedback is shown to be helpful in the treatment of certain conditions, such as chronic constipation, fecal urgency, or incontinence. Biofeedback may also help other patients visualize how they are engaging their muscles during certain exercises or postures. This can be a helpful tool in rebuilding the mind-body connection.

In patients who are children, we always assess muscles externally in a way that is safe and comfortable for the child. Biofeedback is a helpful and non-invasive tool we might use to a observe how the muscles are engaging. With a parent present, a doctor asks consent to apply “stickers” to the region in question, which allows the biofeedback software to show muscle engagement.

Biofeedback is a proven and effective tool for:

  • constipation

  • fecal incontinence

  • failure to relax pelvic floor during evacuation

  • poor abdominal/pelvic floor coordination

  • impaired rectal sensation

Multiple randomized controlled trials demonstrate biofeedback is superior to:

  • laxatives

  • sham therapy

  • diazepam

  • standard care alone