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Clin Colon Rectal Surg 2021; 34(01): 056-061
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1714287
Review Article

Biofeedback for Pelvic Floor Disorders

Melissa Hite
1   Department of Surgery, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
,
Thomas Curran
1   Department of Surgery, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
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Abstract

Defecatory disorders can include structural, neurological, and functional disorders in addition to concomitant symptoms of fecal incontinence, functional anorectal pain, and pelvic floor dyssynergia. These disorders greatly affect quality of life and healthcare costs. Treatment for pelvic floor disorders can include medications, botulinum toxin, surgery, physical therapy, and biofeedback. Pelvic floor muscle training for pelvic floor disorders aims to enhance strength, speed, and/or endurance or coordination of voluntary anal sphincter and pelvic floor muscle contractions. 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. Biofeedback has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of chronic constipation with dyssynergic defecation, fecal incontinence, and low anterior resection syndrome. Evidence for the use of biofeedback in levator ani syndrome is conflicting. In comparing biofeedback to pelvic floor muscle training alone, studies suggest that biofeedback is superior therapy.

Keywords

pelvic floor disorders - biofeedback - pelvic floor muscle training - fecal incontinence - pelvic floor dyssynergia - anismus


Publication History

Article published online:
04 September 2020

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