UNJ June 2005-206.ps

Biofeedback treatment uses electronic or mechanical instruments to relay visual and/or auditory evidence to assist a person in gaining control over a physiologic process or function. In pediatric urology patients, biofeedback treatment is used to promote retraining of pelvic muscles. Figure 1 depicts the pathophysiology of dysfunctional voiding. In the figure, increased pelvic floor tension or overtraining is part of a vicious cycle that leads to pelvic floor and bladder dysfunction. Biofeedback methods are used to interrupt the cycle and promote pelvic floor relaxation and improve bladder function. With the use of biofeedback methods, the child learns about a unconscious physiologic process through visual, auditory, and/or tactile signals so that the unconscious physiologic process can be recognized and then changed or influenced (Hoebeke et al., 1996).