Health Facts :: Pelvic Floor Therapy/Biofeedback

What is biofeedback?
Biofeedback therapy is a recognized therapy treatment option for children with dysfunctional voiding and inadequate pelvic floor relaxation during voiding. The goal for children receiving this treatment is to have a more relaxed pelvic floor during urination. This therapy treatment is done using a computer game and skin electrodes on the child's abdomen and rectal area.

What happens before, during and after biofeedback?
Your child will be scheduled for a one hour appointment at the office. Your child will be instructed to drink fluids an hour or two before the session. At the start of the session skin electrodes will be placed on your child's abdomen and rectal area. Your child will be instructed to urinate. After, a bladder scan will be done, which is a non invasive procedure that looks at how much urine is left in the bladder. If there is a minimal amount left, the biofeedback session can begin. If there is a large residual the child will be instructed to try to void again, and a bladder scan repeated.
During the biofeedback session the skin electrodes remain on, and your child is in a sitting position. Your child will be told to squeeze their pelvic muscles along with the computer game. This is a series of contractions and relaxation. This part of the session should take about 20 minutes. This completes the biofeedback session. The progress can be seen over the weeks that the sessions are done.

What will my child feel during the biofeedback session?
During the session the only thing touching your child will be the skin electrodes, which are similar to EKG electrodes. These will be placed on the abdomen and rectal area. Also, during the bladder scan your child will feel slightly cold ultrasound gel on their abdomen, but it should cause no pain.

Preparing your child for the procedure.
Your child should drink fluids about an hour or two before their scheduled session. The goal is for him or her to come with a full bladder and ready to urinate. The sessions should be one hour in length. On average most patients require a total of 6-8 sessions, once a week, or some variation of this. Encourage your child to ask questions before their first appointment to ease any tension. Also, since this requires focus from your child during the session, if they are sick or not feeling well it is best to reschedule the appointment to maximize the results from the session. If you have any questions prior to your child's first appointment do not hesitate to call the office.