What is Biofeedback?
This conservative, non-surgical therapy is used to treat bladder dysfunction, incontinence, urgency, pelvic pain, or to re-educate the pelvic floor muscles to restore and maintain health. A health care professional will educate, evaluate, and instruct your child on proper isolation, exercise and use of the pelvic floor muscles.
Children with toileting difficulties are often too anxious to comfortably relax the muscles necessary for effective elimination. With the guidance of trained healthcare professionals, biofeedback offers clear visual reinforcement of the accuracy and effectiveness of muscle exercises to obtain optimal results. The use of video games with music makes it easy and fun to practice.
Biofeedback/Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise Therapy
Using biofeedback technology, a computer monitors the electrical activity of the pelvic floor muscles and their progress throughout the therapy sessions. This computerized technology allows your child to see results during contraction and relaxation to help correctly use the group of muscles according to a preset pattern of exercises.
Think of this as a personal trainer instructing your child in “circuit” exercises just as they do for other muscles in the fitness centers! Your child will learn skills that enable them to remain dry, have pain free elimination and have bowel and toileting habits appropriate for their age.
What to expect during biofeedback therapy
With each visit, your child will meet and consult with Dr. Feber or his associates about their progress and discuss their ongoing therapy plan for success. Patches (3 stick-on) similar to those used in heart monitoring are attached to the pelvic muscles at the area around the rectum in order to allow direct assessment of the pelvic floor muscles. Also 3 additional adhesive patches may be placed on the abdominal muscles to monitor their activity and involvement in toileting as a means of isolating and employing only the desired muscles while exercising for proper elimination.