What is Biofeedback?
“Do you do biofeedback?”
That is a frequent question I receive as a pelvic floor physical therapist. And for those not interested in reading an entire blog post, the quick answer is: yes.
But you may be asking what exactly is biofeedback? How is it done? And more importantly why is it beneficial for treating pelvic floor dysfunction? Keep reading because I am about to break it all down.
Biofeedback is a process that provides individuals with information about their physiological activity, such as their heart rate, brain waves, or the purpose of pelvic floor physical therapy, muscle tension, in order to help them learn how to control and regulate these functions. This may be done with the use of sensors and monitoring devices, which can provide real-time feedback to the individual, who can then use this information to modify their physiological responses and achieve a desired outcome, such as reducing stress or improving focus.
Other forms of biofeedback for the pelvic floor may involve using visual feedback with a mirror, so a person can see their vaginal opening or anus contracting and relaxing. Many physical therapists, myself included, prefer to do biofeedback manually. Machines can be great, but they can sometimes provide false information as the sensors pick up any change or movement. So a person could actually be contracting the pelvic floor muscles when they should be relaxing and vice versa. Therefore, doing biofeedback manually can be more accurate.
If someone chooses to do biofeedback with a machine it may look like this:
Monitoring: Sensors are attached to the person's body or an internal probe is inserted vaginally or rectally to measure and monitor specific physiological activity, such as muscle coordination
Feedback: The sensors transmit the information to a device that provides real-time feedback to the person, such as visual displays, sounds, or vibrations.
Learning: The person uses the feedback to learn about their physiological responses and how to control and regulate them, such as through techniques like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or visualization.
Practice: The person practices regulating their physiological responses with the goal of achieving a desired outcome, such as reducing stress or improving focus.
Manual biofeedback follows the same principles above, the only difference is the movement of the muscles is palpated by the therapist and feedback is provided verbally to the patient.
Manual biofeedback involves learning to become aware of one's own physiological responses and then using techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or visualization to control and regulate these responses
A pelvic floor physical therapist may use manual biofeedback techniques to help their patients retrain their pelvic floor muscles the following way:
Assessment: With the patient’s consent, the therapist will perform an internal examination either per the vagina or rectum to assess the patient's pelvic floor muscle function and identify any dysfunction.
Education: The therapist will educate the patient about the anatomy and function of their pelvic floor muscles and how to contract, relax and lengthen their pelvic floor muscles.
Manual Feedback: The therapist will use manual feedback techniques to help the patient feel and learn how to properly engage their pelvic floor muscles. This may include physically touching the pelvic floor muscles, having the patient perform certain movements
Practice: The patient will then practice the pelvic floor muscle movements under the guidance and feedback of the therapist.
Progress Tracking: The therapist will track the patient's progress and make adjustments to the therapy plan as needed.
The goal of manual biofeedback for pelvic floor physical therapy is to help patients improve their muscle control and function, which can alleviate symptoms such as incontinence, pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction.
Biofeedback is just one useful treatment tool used at Pelvic Wellness & Physical Therapy. If you are experiencing any bowel, bladder, sexual dysfunction and/or pelvic pain consider scheduling an appointment with us!